A Hero and the Straw Hat
by Spartan of Chaos
Summary: In order to prevent Maltruant from remaking the universe in his own image, Ben 10,000 is forced to take drastic measures. Now, thrust into an unfamiliar world Ben must learn to adapt to this strange new environment. For ill or good, Ben's presence will bring about an enormous change within a world plagued by pirates and a corrupt government.
1. Displaced

_**AN: There's really not enough Ben 10 and One Piece crossovers out there, at least compared to the likes of Fairy Tail and RWBY. Before anybody asks, this is no way connected to Ten Piece and that doesn't mean I'm quitting it either. This is obviously a different take since I'm using Ben 10,000 since he doesn't get used very much for obvious reasons and the fact that Ben ends up in the One Piece universe unintentionally due to the events of the Time War and the ongoing battle with Maltruant and Eon. I feel that adding villains who have given Ben 10K a hard time in the past balances things out. I hope you enjoy this story just as much as the other one.**_

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The rogue Chronosapien Maltruant sought to create a universe of his own design with the modified Anihilaarg and Dwarf Star. He came to the time period of Ben 10,000 to steal these items so he could create a more deadly weapon. It was then that he fought Ben Tennyson the wielder of the Omnitrix who was now know as "the hero of heroes" as well as his allies. Ben fought with all his might, but Maltraunt was always one step ahead of him with his ability to manipulate time, halting it, slowing it down or speeding it up. By rapidly shifting through time, Maltruant appeared to be in multiple places at once. Eventually, Maltruant was able to defeat Ben by freezing him and his team in time. Eon suddenly appeared with a Time Beast and Maltruant got onto it and thanked Eon for his assistance, now preparing to head to the beginning of time itself to enact his plan. Not willing to let the two time travelers get away, Ben transformed into Clockwork and unfreezes time with his own chronokinesis and rushed at both Maltruant and Eon; just as the latter initiated a vortex behind them. The Chronosapien tackled his foes which led to the alien hero, time walker, and mastermind of the Time War to be sucked into the portal.

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In an abrupt start, Ben jerked himself awake, heart hammering in his chest. His breath labored and face perspiring, Ben took several long minutes to collect his himself. His eyes drifted towards his arms, which then followed to touch his face, as if testing if it was truly real or not. When his hands met the unmistakable skin that was his face, he realized that he wasn't somehow dreaming; he was indeed alive, the Anihilaarg hadn't accidently set off or something.

Looking around, he noticed that he was covered by a white blanket, sitting on a full sized bed, positioned inside a small square-shaped brick walled room. Near him lay another bed in similar design, holding a single occupant. A young man with a small scar under his right eye, and wrapped in medical bandages that covered what Ben presumed were injuries. Another observation that Ben noticed was that the boy was stripped of any clothing, leaving him bare naked. It took Ben a moment to realize that he too was left nude and scarce of any clothing. To the hero's dismay and utter embarrassment, his trademark outfit was gone.

Ben was broken from his sullen mood; his hearing only now had picked up on the numerous hushed whispers off to his side. Turning in the direction of the sound, Ben was surprised to see a large collection of women peering through the opposite side of steel bars that separated them from Ben. Ben was momentarily at a loss for words, as his eyes took in the appearance of the females before him.

Some were of average height, while others were unnaturally tall and bulky for normal human females. They all wore a similar state of attire, that being tribal clothing and animal pelts that covered only their more private areas, leaving much of their skin bare. A few of them wore long white capes on their backs that reached to their lower back and ankles. Every one of them had live snakes of varying colors that coiled around their bodies from their necks, seemingly tamed or domesticated. They were an odd sight to be sure, but in comparison to the individuals Ben had met throughout his hero career, their appearance didn't faze him in the least.

Their whispered conversations ended abruptly at the sudden loud yawning originating from the young boy on the other bed near Ben. Ben saw the boy stifle another yawn and then scratch his untamed black hair with one hand, while the other rubbed his tired eyes. The conversation between the women picked up again, loud enough for Ben to hear some snippets of their conversation.

"They certainly had a long sleep."

"Did you hear the rumors? Apparently, the skinny one ate while asleep."

"So what do men eat anyway? Raw meat?"

"Such ruggedly unusual beasts…"

"Look at them! They have no chest at all!"

Still drowsy, the boy crawled out of the sheets, murmuring softly. "What's all that racket…?"

"AHH! IT SPOKE!" one of the women from the crowd shouted, finger pointed at the boy.

The young boy either ignored the women's presence or he simply hadn't noticed them. He shook his head left and right, confusion obviously displayed on his face. Again, he spoke to aloud to himself, voicing his thoughts. "Huh? Where am I? What was I doing again?" Suddenly, a rush of memories came flooding through the rubber boy's mind. He remembered his crew on Sabaody Archipelago, followed by the traumatic battle with the shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma.

One of the women seemed to grow frustrated as she strained to hear what the young man was saying over her fellow females' chatter. "SSSHH! Everyone it's saying something, quiet." She chastised.

Ben watched as the boy murmured some more incoherent words to himself, before his eyes wandered around the room, as though in search of something. His eyes lit up when he seemingly had found what he was looking for. "Ahh! There it is!" To both Ben and the women's surprise, the lanky boy's arm stretched to impossible lengths, passing through the room's vertical bars and snatching an old straw hat from the head of an unsuspecting female before receding back to its normal length. More than a few of the women staggered back in surprise.

A female with neck length hair held back to the side by a hairpin began to furiously scribble something into a notepad before questioning the boy. "Hey, what's your name?" Her fellow females silently waited for the boy to reply, eager to hear him speak more.

The boy stared at them with a rather blank expression before replying. "Huh? I'm Luffy." Luffy's eyes drifted around in an almost distracted manner before he looked down and shouted with a start, "Ah, I'm naked!"

Ben blinked as the whole crowd of woman gave Luffy an incredulous look. Some were more vocal and called out the straw-hat boy on how dense he was. Luffy shivered, now conscious of the fact that he had no clothing. But oddly enough he didn't seem all that bothered by the fact that a large crowd of females were openly staring at his nude form with strangely rapt interest. The boy didn't even bother to hide his modesty, but rather continued to converse with the tribal females in a rather casual manner.

"It's cold. What happened to my clothes?"

The females seemed to ignore his question, as one of them; a blonde haired female with neck length hair, posed a question of her own. She crouched in front of the metal bars, pointing in the general direction of Luffy's lower region. "Um, before you put on clothes, what do you have inside those sacks between your legs?"

Luffy crossed his arms over his chest and looked back down at his package, eyebrows raised in confusion. "You dunno know what this is?" He looked at the group of tribal women only to find a mix of curious and befuddled expressions. "You people are weird. These are my family jewels!" Luffy exclaimed in an exasperated manner. How could these women not know what these were? It should have been obvious, even to one such as himself.

"Family…jewels?" The women repeated the word over and over, unknowing of its true meaning. A few in the back of the crowd craned over the blonde woman to get a better look at the apparent phenomenon that was Luffy's manhood. Ben meanwhile, just observed the strange situation, trying to make head or tails of everything and thinking that he may need five years worth of therapy after this. These women acted like they had never seen a male before in their life.

"What do you mean by "family jewels"? " The blonde, apparently known as Marguerite pressed.

Luffy put both hands on his waist, allowing the women to get a better look. "Well, they're jewels of course!" He proudly proclaimed without a hint of shame and a huge grin on his face. The women stared open mouthed at the prospect that objects before them were so valuable.

Marguerite was the first to get out of her shock. "Hey, can you take those family jewels off and show them to us?" she pleaded with such innocence. Her fellow females eagerly held the same sentiment and held their palms out expectantly.

Ben, at this point couldn't hold it in any longer and guffawed out loud at the spectacle before him. He laughed so hard that his stomach had started to hurt. Luffy, on the other hand, didn't think it so funny and denied them rather vehemently.

Marguerite and the other women looked somewhat disappointed but handed Luffy his clothes, nonetheless. "Here you go. Your old ones were tattered so we made new ones in the same shape." Luffy graciously took the offered clothes and thanked them for their generosity.

The other female with the hair pin ushered Ben over. Ben obliged and to his delight she had his green jacket plus the rest of his clothes. "We found you floating unconscious up the nearby river stream. Your clothes got all wet so we dried them for you."

"Ah, thanks. I was wondering where it had go…ne" Ben trailed off once he found that his trademark black shirt with a white stripe had been altered. Along the shoulder lines and across the waist were neatly woven flower petal patterns. Ben held his shirt with shaking hands as he sulked about the alterations done to them. Luffy wasn't doing much better as his clothes also had flowering patterns stitched into the fabric.

Marguerite smiled kindly at them, confusing their sullen expressions with one of pure joy. "I put some sexy flower-frills on them."

Luffy though, wasn't having any that. His sulking mood quickly turned furious as he slammed his hand against the metal wall and yelled in outrage. "AHH! QUIT SCREWING WITH ME! I'M A MAN, YOU KNOW!"

A tribal woman with dark black hair tied firmly in a long ponytail and strong cheekbones narrowed her sharp eyes before jumping backwards a good distance away from the prison bars. Her fellow females immediately followed, brandishing weapons in Ben and Luffy's direction. The snakes that were curled around their bodies had taken the shape of bows. It was clear to Ben that the woman with the ponytail and sharply defined cheeks was the apparent leader of the group; at least with the way she carried herself and took command.

"You see," the woman began, voice full of suspicion and contempt for the men she had her arrow trained on. "This is man's true nature; ferocious. No better than an enraged beast. You show them an act of kindness and in return they lash out in anger at you." Her fellow female warriors murmured unanimously in agreement, swayed by their leader's words.

"As I thought," she continued. "Our kind simply cannot coexist." Meanwhile, Ben watched the events unfold before him with a puzzled expression. The Omnitrix wielder was admittedly confused by the sudden turn of events. He'd presumed the tribal looking women to be rather nice, especially since they took him in and cleaned his clothes for him. Ben's inner musings blocked out most of the conversations taking place between Luffy and the Amazons but the long time hero managed to catch a few things such as the fact that he was currently on an island inhabited by only females and that this Hebihime-sama was its undisputed queen or ruler.

Before Ben could give his own input to perhaps diffuse the tense situation, the leader of the group, whose name was apparently Kikyou ordered her warriors to fire. Both Ben and Luffy jumped on instinct with Ben transforming into XLR8 in a green flash much to the utter shock of everyone present, having seen this man transform into some sort of creature. Both Luffy and XLR8 crashing through the stone ceiling, with the former narrowly avoiding the speeding rush of arrows that flooded into the cell, plowing easily through the steel bars that once held Ben and Luffy. Underneath his visor, Ben openly gawked at the amount of power that the Amazonian's arrows packed.

Now Ben wasn't by any means the most perceptive guy around, but even he was took note that the women's arrows contained far more force than any normal arrow should've contained. Ben could feel that a least a few of the women were somewhat reluctant to fight him as well. A fight between two begrudging participants never ended well.

XLR8 landed with a soft thud onto the tiled roof, just as Luffy did. The boy with the straw hat looked just as bewildered as Ben. "Why are you attacking us?!" XLR8 questioned the Amazons in his raspy voice, only to be forced to use his incredible speed to dodge more arrows that seared past his face. Luffy made use of his inhuman stretching ability to weave through oncoming arrows at impossible angles.

"Aphelandra!" Kikyou shouted, extracting another arrow from her pouch and lining for another shot.

"Right!" an abnormally tall woman cried as she leaped in front of both XLR8 and Luffy, arms stretched outwards and blocking their path. Caught by surprise, XLR8 and Luffy crashed face first into the Amazon's sizable chest, repelling them backwards off their feet. Both of them managed to regain their bearings, landing nimbly on the dirt floor.

Luffy looked amongst the group of Amazonian warriors until his eyes laid upon a specific one. Extending his arm out, the rubber boy ensnared the unsuspecting female around her chest and waist. Making certain that he'd gotten a good hold of the woman, Luffy once again leaped back onto the roof, just as he sidestepped a slash from a warrior's sword. Not knowing what to do, XLR8 simply followed the stretchable boy and the screaming girl held in his grip, being much faster than Luffy; but going just slow enough so that he could keep up. Together, the two men scaled the enormous rocky wall that encased the entire village in.

"Oh no! Margaret has been taken!" Aphelandra shrieked, immensely worried for her friend's safety.

Kikyou cursed under her breathe before administering orders to her warriors. "After them! We must capture them before Hebihime-sama returns!" That was enough motivation to jump start the band of warriors into action and begin their pursuit of the dreaded men.d

Once they'd made it to the apex of the steep wall, Luffy only spared a moments look at the nerve racking height that led to the jungle below, before the scared boy fearlessly jumped off the rocky cliff. The female Amazon screamed her lungs out, face etched in horror at what she anticipated to be her death. XLR8 hadn't even spared a shred of hesitation as he sped down the wall of the cliff with reckless abandon. The legendary hero let a grin crease his visage as he enjoyed the cool air of breeze wash across his form as he sped down towards the abyss of the jungle floor; curious as to where this strange turn of events would lead him next.

* * *

 _ **AN: So that's all for this chapter. In case you're all wondering, this version of Ben 10,000 is the one from the original series. Also, the premise is inspired by the last two episodes of Omniverse: The End of an Era and A New Dawn. Well, I'll see you next chapter, which coming out sooner than you think.**_


	2. Amazon Lily

Luffy laughed joyfully, paying no heed to his distressed passenger and astonishingly rapid descent down the rocky wall that led into the jungle. XLR8 was keeping pace with him, enjoying the fresh air that whipped at his face from the fast velocities he was moving at.

"Gomu Gomu No…" Luffy began lowly just as they were about to impact the jungle floor, Luffy took a huge intake of air that inflated his stomach to enormous proportions.

XLR8 looked on in surprise at the expanding volume of Luffy's stomach. He'd assumed that Luffy's abilities were similar to that of the Kraaho, a race of aliens who could also extend their arms to abnormally impossible lengths. Though, by the looks of it, Luffy's extension abilities stretched further than the hero had presumed; quite literally.

"FUUSEN!" Luffy finished as his body made contact with the jungle floor, crashing with a loud thud. The shape of Luffy's expanded body acted a cushion of sorts, softening the impact that would have otherwise been a lethal fall. Margaret was flung to the side from the impact, landing on her rear with a yelp. Poor girl looked like she was only moments from a heart attack with her hair somewhat disheveled and her breathing laborious.

Luffy casted a look at XLR8 who had already transformed back to normal and waited with his arms at his sides. In his excitement, the rubber man hadn't seen how the odd looking blue lizard had made it down the rocky cliff without any bodily harm, but was more curious as to who the weird man was. He had the shape of a fighter, that was for certain, but the man with a weird looking watch exuded a cheerful aura that reminded Luffy of himself in a bizarre way. Luffy mentally shook his head from his ramblings. Far too much thinking involved.

"Who are you? And how did you turn into that weird monster?" Luffy asked in his usual blunt and straightforward manner.

Ben raised an eyebrow, a bit annoyed by Luffy's perhaps rude attitude. "Name's Ben Tennyson. As for how I turned into that monster," the hero raised the Omnitrix so Luffy could get a closer look. "It's called the Omnitrix. It allows me to turn into these monsters. That raptor you saw, who I call XLR8, is just one of them.".

Luffy edged closer to the hero, tentatively reaching out with a finger. Ben watched the rubber boy with an almost lost expression as he proceeded to prod at Ben's device. To Luffy's surprise, the hourglass symbol on the Omnitrix glowed green a bit. "Shishishi. So it's a mystery watch," Luffy laughed heartedly. Ben saw the boy's gleaming dentures that nearly spit across his face as he smiled and soon, he joined in the amused boy's laughter.

Off to the side Marguerite observed the behavior between the two men with a wary yet curious eye. Her current position as captive to these men made her apprehensive, yet apart of her, the more inquisitive and innocent side of her was puzzled. Being a female Kuja on Amazon Lily meant that she and her fellow females lived an isolated life, separated from any outside influence that extended past the large island. Males were prohibited from entry into Amazon Lily as per the traditions of the Kuja. Here, women were appalled by man. From a young age, they were taught that man would bring nothing but destruction to their peaceful and prosperous land, thus the reason for their state of self-imposed isolation from the outside world.

Marguerite shared these feelings of animosity towards men, though unlike her fellow peers Margaret was a rather curious creature. Despite the fact that her people were taught to despise and loathe men, Marguerite had yet to actually meet a male in person. Never in Amazon Lily's history had a man stepped foot on their shores, and now suddenly two such males had appeared without any forewarning. Perhaps now she would be given the chance to see exactly why males were so feared and tabooed by her people's culture.

It was made abundantly clear that the two males had never met each other until today, yet they laughed together in a manner that old friends or comrades would when they shared something they found comical. The younger male with the straw hat was indeed strange. Never had she seen an individual stretch to such lengths. His abilities incited both fear and excitement in the young Kuja warrior. This 'Luffy's' powers reminded Marguerite of the mystical abilities that Hebihime-sama and her sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold possessed. Did that mean that Luffy was plagued by a similar curse that afflicted her people's most revered sisters?

The Kuja warrior craned her neck skyward up the mountainous wall, gasping at the sheer height of the fall that Luffy had daringly leaped from. "To jump from that height without sustaining any injuries…" the blonde murmured to herself under her breathe. Had Luffy not intervened, she would have surely died from the fall's impact.

"My names Luffy and I'm a rubber man." Monkey D. Luffy introduced himself as he pulled on his right cheek and stretched it outwards, proving his statement.

"So how do you stretch like that?" Ben questioned idly. "I've only met a race of people that can do something similar but not to the extent that I've seen you show."

"Ehhh?" Luffy exclaimed in surprise. "You know people who can stretch like me?"

"Yeah," Ben hummed in affirmation, a far off gaze in his eyes. "They're called the Kraaho and I've had a few run ins with them when I was young."

"Crap Holes?! What the hell kind of name is that?" Luffy shouted with mirth and unbridled confusion laced in his words.

Ben deadpanned at that. Never had the Omnitrix wielder heard anyone so horribly misinterpret a name, " Don't let any of them hear you say that. A old friend of mine who is a member of that race would maim you if she heard you making fun of her people." Despite the way that Ben portrayed his words as a joke, Ester may indeed have attempted to eviscerate the rubber boy for tarnishing the name of her people in such a decrepit manner.

Luffy huffed, unflinching of the prospect of bodily dismemberment to his person. To Luffy, only his old coot of a grandfather could invoke any real fear through his usually indomitable will. He still hadn't a clue as to why the aged Vice Admiral's punches could hurt him despite the fact that his body was made of rubber. His body should've made him immune to any kind of physically concussive attack, yet that didn't derail gramps iron fist in the least.

"How is that you can stretch anyway?" Ben questioned. He new for sure that most humans didn't have the capability to extend their body in such a manner. At least Ben presumed that Luffy was human based upon the boy's physical appearance. Then again, alien races like the Osmosians bore a remarkably similar resemblance to humans with the exception of horns; so there was the slim possibility that Luffy could be from a alien race with strikingly distinctive human features.

"I ate a Devil Fruit called the Gomu Gomu no Mi," Luffy spoke as if that alone was sufficient enough to answer Ben's question. It served the opposite effect and only further fueled Ben with more confusion and questions.

Ben scratched the back of his head, befuddled. "What in the world is a Devil Fruit?"

Luffy staggered back dumbstruck. "You don't know what a Devil Fruit is? They give you these awesome powers when you eat them, but they taste like shit." Luffy cringed at the memory of consuming the cursed fruit. It was known by every Devil Fruit user that the fruit itself bared a horrid taste that would likely make a person visibly sick after just one bite. Luffy had the displeasure of eating his fruit whole, nearly suffocating himself in the process.

It was truly strange that this Ben hadn't heard of the Devil Fruits before, especially being in the Grand Line where much more of the fruit users dwelled. Even the farther sections of the sea such as North and South Blue knew of the mystical fruits that bestowed supernatural abilities, or at the very least rumors of its existence.

Ben shrugged his shoulders with a clueless expression on his face. "Never heard of such a thing? By the way, why did you bring that girl with you?" Ben gestured towards the forgotten Kuja warrior who flinched at the sudden mention of her presence.

Luffy took a few pauses to register everything before the cogs in his head finally pieced everything together. "Oh yeah!" the boy cried, smashing a fisted hand into his other in a eureka gesture. Luffy rushed off in front of a startled Marguerite, who brandished her sword threateningly in front of herself.

"Stay back!" Marguerite commanded in a panic, obviously not comfortable or willing to let the boy get too close to her again. "I heard you men carry all sorts of diseases." No way was she running the risk of possibly contracting some foreign and potentially deadly virus from a male of all things.

Luffy pressed forward, unfazed or uncaring of the blonde Kuja's threat. "As far as I know I'm not carrying any diseases, but never mind that. There's something I need in the pockets of my old trousers. Can you give them to me?" He held out his arms pleading and desperate.

Marguerite hadn't a clue what possessed her to do this but for some reason she felt compelled to comply with the man's wish. Shuffling through the pockets of the boy's trousers, Marguerite made certain to retain sight of both males. What she found within the pair of pants actually poked at the curious side of the Kuja female. In her hand she held out a perfectly square piece of paper with what appeared to be a person's name inscribed onto the small parchment.

"AHHH! That's it!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, snatching the thin sheet of paper away from the blonde Amazon's grasp. With a delicate touch, Luffy held it in between both his palms, inspecting the paper for any damages. "Thank god I didn't lose it! Without it I'd be doomed. Thanks so much for taking care of it!"

Marguerite blinked before attaining a slightly bashful expression. It was felt so odd to be thanked so earnestly by a man of all things, but to her utter surprise it didn't feel as wrong as she initially would've presumed. "I assumed it was important since there was something written on it."

"Mmhhmm, look!" Luffy held out his hand for Margaret and Ben to get a better view of the mysterious object. To the Kuja tribeswoman's fascination, the piece of paper seemed to move of its violation without the aid of the wind.

"How mysterious…" Marguerite commented airily, transfixed by the almost sentient like piece of parchment.

Luffy positioned himself into a comfortable cross legged position, eyes fixated onto the paper in his palm. "Yeah…a lot of stuff happened and me and my nakama all got blown into the sky. But all of us have one of these so we should be able to find each other again. We're strong after all." Luffy explained with an expression of fondness in his eyes as he mentioned his beloved nakama.

"Man, I guess I have a lot to thank you for. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well…" Marguerite began, recalling the events of the earlier morning. "Could I have a look at your family jewels?" she asked with innocent curiosity, holding out her hands expectantly.

"I TOLD YOU THEY DON'T COME OFF!" Luffy's voice wailed, scaring away the nearby birds that had perched themselves nearby on tree branches or nests.

Ignoring the boisterous response from the straw hat boy, Marguerite sat down on the large trunk of one of the fallen trees that had long since toppled over. Green moss littered its dead husk, creating a somewhat comfortable cushion padding to sit on. Marguerite had begun to grow used to the men's' presence; enough to relax herself somewhat but she still firmly kept her sword within arm's reach.

Ben took a similar position, content with listening to the two talk. Ben enjoyed how Luffy shared his stories with such animated expressions and gestures. It was obvious in the way he spoke about his nakama that he cared for them deeply.

Luffy briefly spoke of his companions, whom by their description alone sounded like quite an unusual band of individuals. This Franky guy reminded Ben a lot of the Synthroids back in his world. He only hoped that the human/machine hybrid didn't have no care or remorse for beings who are alive and destroying the Earth as the ones he had the pleasure of knowing in the past. And this Brook character. How a singing skeleton could be even a thing in the first place was beyond him, but the deceased man sure sounded like a nice guy. Each of the Straw Hat's crew brought on their own string of strangeness and slew of abilities. But most importantly, at least to Ben; the pirate crew sounded like they all shared a great deal of camaraderie with each other.

After hearing of Luffy's crew and a few recounts of some of the adventures he'd already been on in his crew's relatively short time of existence, Margarette began to open up about herself and the island they were on. Margarette told them that the ruler of Amazon Lily, the Empress Boa Hancock was also a pirate captain with her own crew. Though, the woman wasn't just any other pirate, but something known as a Shichibukai; a fact which surprised Luffy greatly. It seemed that Luffy had dealt with several Shichibukai in the past, and never once on good terms.

Ben had to admit, he was rather impressed. From what he'd heard from Luffy and Marguerite, those who had attained the title of Shichibukai held incredible power that was far above the average level of a normal pirate. Marguerite herself was one of the many Kuja warriors that strived to one day join their precious Hebihime-sama's pirate crew, where only the empress's most powerful band of Amazonian warriors were allowed to join.

It had become all too clear that Ben really had been transported to another universe. At the very least, the reality that he'd been suddenly cast into was somewhat like Earth, if with a few defining differences. A piece of information that Ben had picked up on that distinguished this new world from his own was that it seemed to be dominated by pirates; the kind of pirates that lived by no concrete laws and scoured the seas for treasure. Luffy's proclaimed dream was to search for widely sought after pirate treasure of One Piece, though Ben was iffy on the details.

Ben surprised himself with just how well he had been coping with being whisked into this new and foreign world. Of course he felt that nagging feeling of guilt and sad emptiness at being separated from his friends and family, but he knew that everything would just work out. However, one thought that was lingering in the back of his mind was if he was here, did that mean Maltruant and Eon somehow ended up in this world too? That was something he didn't want to think about considering how much damage they could do if left unchecked.

"There, all done!" Marguerite's voice broke the hero from his reverie. A few snips later and Ben noticed that the frills that had originally occupied his black and white shirt was gone. In his musings, Ben had momentarily forgotten that he'd asked Margaret to remove the alterations that she'd made to his favored uniform.

"Thanks!" Ben cheered as he did a once over his outfit, craning his neck to the side in attempt to look at his back. Marguerite made a few unintelligible murmurs that sounded remotely like a pout as she slipped the remainder of the flowery frills into her satchel.

Marguerite sauntered over to a nearby tree vine that stretched across the underbrush and intertwined into the thick branches overhead. Swaying over the improvised laundry line was the Kuja warrior's cape. It had gotten wet when she had jumped in the ocean after Luffy, who had nearly drowned under the water's crushing force and waves. In an attempt to seek out and rejoin his fellow nakama, Luffy had hastily erected together a ramshackled boat that he'd planned on using to sail out to sea. Paying no mind to Margaret's warnings, Luffy's impromptu raft had quickly sunk within less than a minute. The fact that his entire body would clamp up as if weighed down by a tremendous force certainly didn't help Luffy's case.

It had come as quite a shock to Ben when he'd learned that Luffy couldn't swim. Apparently, anyone who had consumed a Devil Fruit would also suffer the inability to swim ever again; a prospect that left Ben dumbfounded. Considering that Luffy spent a lot of his time as a pirate sailing the seas.

Meanwhile, Luffy heaved for air on the ground, out of breathe from his ordeal. Marguerite shook her cape to rid itself of the remaining droplets of water that still clung to the cloth, a deep and thoughtful expression on her face, as though disturbed by a sudden revelation. "If only you could just get out of here…far away." She whispered lowly so that no one would hear her. Ben was able to pick up on Marguerite's sudden turn in behavior.

Without warning, the Kuja tribeswoman brought out her bow and arrow, the tip of her weapon positioned squarely in Luffy's face. "WHOA! What are you doing Marguerite?!" Ben shouted, his body reactively tensing to the danger.

"I can't keep being friendly to you both, or else I'll get too attached. My people's law forbids it." Marguerite spoke with finality, though with a hesitant lack of enthusiasm. Her somber tone spoke volumes of the inner turmoil that her decision was causing.

Before either Luffy or Ben could get a word in edgewise, Marguerite released her arrow which launched straight for Luffy's head. Luffy barely managed to react in time, pushing himself off the ground and narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. The arrow plowed into the ground, shattering stone and rock on impact.

Marguerite cursed her aim and lined up another set of arrows which she fired off at both Ben and Luffy, who were forced to dodge less they get impaled by a storm of arrows. None of the arrows found their destined target, crashing into the trees, which were easily bifurcated and torn apart from the seams.

"Those arrows! Breaking down stone walls and stuff. How are they so ridiculously powerful?!" Luffy questioned aloud, picking up one of the fallen arrows off the forest floor and inspecting it. "They look just like ordinary arrows." To prove his point, Luffy snapped the arrow in half with relative ease. Ben too, was confused, though he had presumed that it had something to do with the metahuman ability that all of the Kuja warriors seemed to possess.

"What are you talking about?" Marguerite questioned, hands already in motion to line up another set of arrows. "It's only natural for arrows to have such strength when imbued with Haki," she told the two men as though it were obvious. And to her people it was. All of the Kuja tribe were naturally born gifted with the capacity to utilize Haki with ease that was uncommon outside of their island and village. The use of Haki just came natural to the Amazonian women.

"Haki?" Luffy pondered the foreign word, unfamiliar with the term as was Ben. The rubber boy threw an inquisitive look at his unconventional companion who shrugged his wide shoulders in an 'I dunno' expression.

Marguerite merely assumed that the two men were faking their ignorance, but if they were then they were uncannily good at it. Though, the Kuja teachings had foretold of man's deception, so maybe they truly were that proficient at feigning ignorance.

"There they are! Marguerite's alright!" a feminine female voice shouted, spurring her colleagues attention towards the three individuals locked in an awkward stalemate. Just as the group of Kuja tribeswomen greeted Marguerite, both Ben and Luffy had taken off into the jungle's foliage with the former transforming into Jetray, knowing that if they stood there then the Amazonians would surely fire upon them at first sight. Marguerite assured her fellow female warriors that she'd been unharmed during her captivity and even dutifully declined one of the Kuja woman's offered help to cleanse her body of any diseases that she may have contracted from being in such close proximity with the males. Despite her conflicting feelings, Marguerite couldn't stop herself from feeling uneasy about the way in which she treated the men, and what would surely become of them the moment that they were finally captured. After all, without a boat or other form of transportation the two were confined to the island. And eventually they'd run out of places to run to.

A brush from Aphelandra spurred the blonde Kuja from her inner musings. "Y-yes, I'm sorry. What did you say?" Marguerite managed to word out.

Aphelandra, an unusually tall but nevertheless, attractive woman gave Marguerite a worried look. "Since you've been in captivity, news came back from the village. Hebi-hime sama has returned from her voyage, she's back!" An undertone of panic swelled through Marguerite's body. Normally, Hebi-hime sama's return would've been heralded with joyous welcome and celebration, but with two unknown men on the loose, the snake princess would be enraged. Like any Kuja, Boa Hancock held a strong hatred for men, but her fury with the opposite sex was infamously unparalleled. Once word had reached of the men's existence, Hebi-hime sama would fall into a distraught rage, relentlessly hunting the males down no matter the consequences, despite any casualties that may befall her own people. The way things were moving, it looked as though things would get worse before they got better.

* * *

"Hmm, what do you think we should do Luffy?" Jetray asked as flew alongside his newfound companion, honestly stumped and out of ideas.

Luffy made a humming noise of deep thought, racking his brain for a solution to their predicament. Despite only knowing each for several hours, the two males made a nonverbal agreement to work together. They both sorely needed the others aid if they wanted to get off the island; Ben especially since he lacked any real knowledge about the world he'd stumbled into.

Shortly after escaping the group of Kuja warriors that had been hunting them down, the pair had made their way back towards the outer wall of the Amazon Lily. An outpost landing circled around the circumference of the village, where usually a small contingent of Kuja warriors would be stationed on watch duty, overseeing for any oncoming enemies that may attack the unsuspecting village below; not many actually believed that anyone would be smart or stupid enough to infiltrate and attack a highly trained race of warriors with an adept talent with Haki, especially when they're leader was a Shichibukai sanctioned by the World Government.

It was indeed odd that there was no one stationed to guard the village's perimeter. A sizable contingent of warriors were tracking them down in the surrounding jungle, but that still left the entire rest of their population uncounted for. But these minute details were lost to the unobservant Luffy and Ben.

"Well that girl said that they had a pirate ship. We just need to borrow it." Luffy spoke his thought aloud. Suddenly he felt dejected. "But Nami isn't around. Without her, I'll get lost out sea." Oceans normally were precarious to travel, but the waters of the Grand Line were altogether a different thing. On a good day, the seas in that region were downright hazardous to traverse. The waters would suddenly and dramatically take a turn for the worst, bringing about near unpredictable weather conditions that ranged from frigid cold climates to raging storms. Then to top that off, there were the constant threat of being devoured whole by the mountainous Sea Kings that lurked beneath the ocean's depths, waiting for unsuspecting travelers.

Nami, the Sunny's navigator had an extremely high aptitude for predicting weather patterns, making her a vital addition and companion of the Straw Hat crew. Without her, the crew would've undoubtedly been sunken by some catastrophe or another. Luffy, on the other hand had no directional or navigational skills to note of. In fact, before Nami had been admitted into the pirate crew, when Luffy had just began his journey to find the widely sought after treasure of One Piece, Luffy had absolutely no idea of how to navigate through the ocean; only knowing perhaps the basic necessities of how to steer a boat, but not to maintain it. This left him with the choice of merely leaving his sails to catch whatever wind he could get and drift off into any random location, praying that eventually he'd either find land or some form of hospitable civilization. It was a miracle that the boy hadn't been swallowed by the dangers that had devastated so many others. It was like fate itself had bestowed an impenetrable luck upon the rubber boy, safely guiding him towards his goals and dreams.

"But…do you think they'll just let us take their ship? I don't know if I'd be comfortable with just taking their ship without permission. We don't want to give them more of a reason to kill us." Jetray stated.

Luffy hopped onto the square shaped cemented ridge of the catwalk, balancing himself on the edge. "I suppose ya got a point there. It'd be better if they just let us borrow it. I wonder if they could send me back to the Shabondi Islands."

"I got it!" Jetray shouted, startling Luffy and throwing his posture off balance. Luffy tittered on the edge of the ridge, trying to gather his balance back less he fall back into the village's entrenched crater, which would be an exceedingly long fall.

"What if I can make us a ship? One of my other aliens can do the job in a snap," Jetray continued on, oblivious to his companion's near death fall.

Luffy finally managed to regain his bearings, and then turned towards Jetray with a righteous fury, his infamous temper peeking out. "IDIOT! You nearly knocked me off the ledge!" Jetray barely had time to blink in surprise before an elongated fisted hand of Luffy's crashed straight into his abdomen, rocketing him off the safety of the encircled ridgeline.

The sight of his newly found companion falling off the ledge snapped Luffy out of his encompassed rage. "Ah oops." Luffy weakly managed to breathe out. "Hang on weird monster guy!" Luffy bellowed, propping his legs into a crouch and leaping off the ledge without hesitation.

Jetray wasn't as hurt by the blow that Luffy dealt him as much as startled. The alien honestly hadn't expected to be hurtled off course so suddenly and by Luffy no less. Had he done something to offend the rubber boy? the Aerophibian's rattled mind centered back onto the fact that he was still tumbling down towards the rapidly enlarging sight of a large compound in the village. The compound itself was enormous and held the majestic architecture of a royal Chinese palace.

In another green flash, Ben switched to Cannonbolt sheltering his entire form by curling into a sphere. The hero's descent began a rapid decline in velocity. Finally, Cannonbolt touched down onto the tile pallets of the palace's roof, shattering a few of the tiles that he'd landed on, but otherwise preventing any injuries or mild headaches. "Phew…" Cannonbolt heaved a relaxed sigh. "That was a close one. Could've done some damage there." Cannonbolt wasn't entirely referring to himself. The fall would've rattled his brain from the crash, but he would've otherwise been fine. He was honestly more worried about damaging the Palace itself. The ruler and her people probably wouldn't have taken too kindly if their ceiling suddenly collapsed on them. That would make things even more difficult with them as it is.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" The familiar voice of Luffy roared against the rushing wind. Attracted by the loud and impending voice, Cannonbolt looked up. The Arburian Pelarota had just enough time to let out a surprised scream himself before Luffy's fast-moving body slammed into his, elapsing a mighty THWAPP sound from their impact. The force blew them both straight through the tiled plates of the roof and inside the palace.

* * *

Ben felt the discombobulating sense of vertigo that he had grown well accustomed to whenever he was struck hard in the head sent tumbling end over end through solid objects, be they large boulders or buildings. "Awww man! It feels like Vilgax slammed me through Mount Rushmore again." Ben vividly remembered that fateful battle with his old nemesis. Though, back then, he at least at the opportunity to brace himself for the inevitable impact. That wasn't the case this time.

Next to the hero, Ben could see Luffy screaming and flailing around like a fish out of water. It was at that point that Ben finally realized that they were standing in warm water. Hot steam enveloped them, obscuring Ben's vision and preventing him from seeing anything within the room.

"WATER! HOT! HOT! IT'S BOILING HOT!I'M GONNA DIE! I'M GONNA DROWN! HELP!" The rubber boy shrieked with intensified volume. Ben was just about to assist the boy when all on his own, Luffy came to the realization that he was standing and not drowning. The water level barely came up to his knee caps. "Oh, I can stand. Hey, are we in a bath?" he pointed out lamely.

" **A MALE?!"** a feminine and heavenly sultry voice whispered loudly, her voice penetrating through the hot steam and managing to reverberate throughout the room. Splashed of water was heard just as the fog-like steam slowly dissipated to reveal a naked woman. The woman in question had striking beauty that outclassed even the most alluring females that inhabited the island; which was a feat in itself. She had an incredibly slender form, fair and smoothly unblemished skin. Her dampened long black hair cascaded over her frame and shadowed her voluptuous breasts.

Ben felt captivated, though not just by the appearance of her naked form, nor her obvious beauty. What truly ensnared the wielder of the Omnitrix's interest was the fire in her deep, dark blue eyes; eyes that filled with such malice, such contempt that Ben may have actually combusted in flames from her hardened gaze. The sharpness of her stare and anger that was practically palpable made the hero actually take a step back. Ben had long since learnt from the many times that he had ticked off Gwen or Julie.

" _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."_

* * *

 _ **AN: Next chapter is when we get into the real action, so be sure to read and review!**_


	3. Gladiatorial Battle

_**AN:** **Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Ben 10 or One Piece. All rights belong to their respective owners.**_

* * *

"Huh?" Ben blinked, his mind only now registering the odd mark imprinted on the woman's backside. It was the single blemish that marred her otherwise flawless body, making it stand out that much more. The skin looked as though it had been burned and branded by a hot metal of some kind. Most of the afflicted area had long since healed, leaving only an inflamed red scar that vaguely resembled a sharply defined footprint. Whatever had happened to the woman it had happened long ago.

"That mark…" Luffy spoke, cutting the silent tension in the room. "I've seen that before."

The branded woman's eyes widened in a pained shock, before she furiously scrambled to cover her body within the steamy water. "You looked….!" The woman rasped out with a whisper filled with such venom that Ben nearly flinched from the coldness in her voice.

"Sister!" voices from nearby intoned loudly, followed by a hurried rush of footsteps. Two of the oddest looking women barged through the room's metal doors, sweat precipitating down their worried faces. "What in the world is going on here!?"

Both women were abnormally large with odd snake like tendencies. One of the women had a voluminously bloated stomach with large swollen lips and long wavy and untamed orange hair that curved into a strange Valkyrie shape. Her counterpart had a disproportionately wide head with a snake-like split tongue that dangled loosely out of her mouth. Cascading down her shoulders and back was her long, wavy teal-green hair, which was complimented by her almost unnatural sea-foam colored eyes.

Their eyes quickly locked on the naked form of their supposed sister before guiding themselves in the direction of Luffy and Ben, freezing with petrification. "Men! What are men doing in this country!?" The viper like woman hissed loudly in her uniquely hushed accent, likely caused by her split tongue.

"Sister! Your robe!" The obese woman bellowed, horrified to find her sister in such a vulnerable state. With her back exposed in such an openly manner, the men may have seen the dreaded mark that had plagued the sisters since their time in captivity as a slave. In an instant she was by her sister's side, draping her white haori over her the stilled woman's shoulders so she could cover her modesty.

"Are you alright sister?" Marigold began to fear the worst when she noticed that her sister's almost petrified expression.

"They saw…" Hancock finally said, her eyes never wavering from the sight of the males. She needn't say more for her sisters knew immediately what had happened.

"Then the only solution is their death." Marigold stated grimly, tightening the hold on her spear in preparation for combat.

Luffy's reaction was immediate. "Wha-?! What's so bad about seeing your back?!"

"That which lies upon our backs is something that must never be seen, even if we were to die." Hancock explained ominously, which only further confused the two males.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey now!" Ben raised his hands defensively, trying to avoid a fight from possibly breaking out. These females had murder in their eyes, he could see it; he just didn't understand why they suddenly wanted to kill him and Luffy.

"Now take everything you have seen here with you to your grave." Hancock raised both hands together in front of her, hands cusped upside down and thrust forward. "Mero Mero Merrow!"

Ben's eyes widened as he saw the positioning of the woman's hands, presuming that she was preparing to shoot out an energy beam of some kind. Reacting quickly, Ben transformed into Chromastone in order to absorb the energy that was about to come his way. But to the Crystalsapien's shock, instead of an intensive beam of energy, the woman shot out a stream of vibrantly flashing pink hearts that sped towards the stunned men and looped around them like a vortex.

Luffy had shut his eyes and raised his arms in front of him as a reflexive move. "Noro Noro?!" The boy cried upon seeing the unusual attack that enveloped them both. The attack closely resembled that of Foxy's Noro Noro beam which slowed time down to a crawl.

Moments ticked by with both man and alien stuck in their shielded positions; each anticipating wholly different outcomes. As the seconds turned to minutes, Chromastone and Luffy slowly dropped their stiffened stances to look at their opponents, eyes blinking rapidly with confusion. The Amazonian woman were shocked themselves, having presumed that the men before them would undoubtedly turn into stone as every other mammal, be they male, female, or beast gazed upon their stunning sister with lust in their hearts.

Momentarily stunned by her devil fruit gifted power's inability to fossilize her target was soon replaced with abject denial. Positioning her hands in the same cupped manner, Hancock sent another beam with a cry of "Merro Merro Merrow!" chucking the previous mishap as a mere fluke. Luffy once again assumed his position of shielding his face with his hands, but Chromastone on the other hand left himself vulnerable to the attack. Before, the Crystalsapien hadn't gotten the chance to observe the attack properly seeing as he had focused on absorbing from what he had first believed to be an energy attack. Now though, he was able to observe the strange ambient stream of hearts as they danced past his and Luffy's form. There was clearly energy in the beams but they lacked any of the explosive features that he was normally accustomed with, which begged the question of what the attack's purpose was meant for seeing as it had no outwardly effect on the men.

"Impossible!" Hancock stammered in disbelief. "Why haven't they turned to stone? Are they're hearts not moved from seeing me in the bath?!"

"Don't be ridiculous sister!" Marigold immediately rejected the mere notion that these _men_ were somehow immune to her sister's charms. "None, old, young, male or female, could fail to be captured by your beauty."

"They're fear of death must've outweighed the wicked desires that they no doubt possess." Sandersonia suggested with a hiss, trying to justify what they had witnessed. "Pathetic, but lucky for them."

"I don't know what's going on, but I have a feeling I should get out of here." Luffy voiced his thoughts aloud. The rubber man did a swift turn and began a quick run towards the nearby closed windows. "C'mon Ben, let's go!"

Chromastone's mind slowly processed the straw hat boy's intentions before he managed a reply. The Crystalsapien reached his hand out as if to stop Luffy. "Wait Luffy-!"

The alien's words fell on deaf ears as the lanky teen crashed through the windows, sending a shower of broken glass and wood tumbling over the edge. Hancock was quick to react to the teen's attempting escape. The stunning beauty brought a slender index finger to her lips which she puckered and kissed. A pink heart formed around the finger, which she then pointed and aimed right in Luffy's falling direction. Like a bullet being shot from a pistol, the heart soared through the air, crossing the distance with blinding speed. The heart bullet struck Luffy harshly in his backside, elapsing a shock-filled gasp of pain from the rubber boy, who was caught off guard by the unexpected attack.

"Luffy!" Chromastone shouted the boy's name in concern, rushing towards the window after the falling teen. Just as he made it to the newly formed hole in the wall, a pair of snakes slithered around his body, coiling and slithering around his limbs and bounding them together. The sudden immobilization of his body threw Chromastone off balance, making him fall face first onto the ground, much to his dismay. Shrugging off the fall, Chromastone struggled against his unusual binds which hissed and only tightened their hold on his body. To Chromastone's surprise, he found that that snakes were more difficult to remove than he expected. They were obviously not normal reptiles, but nonetheless, the Crystalsapien persisted in his struggle to unshackle himself from his binds. Through sheer strength and will, Chromastone managed to move his legs far enough to begin pushing himself off the ground, much to the women's shock.

Just as the Chromastone had nearly regained his bearings, the bloated form of Marigold forcibly pushed him right back on the floor, using her strength and weight to pin him down. Chromastone felt the cold feeling of steel press against his neck and knew that he had been subdued. One wrong move and the woman would no doubt crush him to pieces. Not the most favorable way to die, if there even was one.

Hancock nodded to her sister in approval before stalking off towards the new hole in her private bath house. Her Kuja warriors were already mobilizing around the scene, no doubt alarmed by the disturbance from the palace. "Kuja pirates! Capture that man!" She ordered to which they dutifully executed without hesitance.

"What would you have us do with these men sister?" Sandersonia whispered, sounding anxious.

Hancock cast a distasteful look towards the bound alien and immediately formulated a plan. She would make certain that these filth would die for their crimes. There was no way that they could be allowed to live, having seen her accursed brand.

* * *

Ben having now returned to normal casted a long dazed gaze around him, trying to put sense to his situation. He'd been in a constant state of confusion since the moment he had awoken and his current predicament concerning the local tribeswomen's hostility certainly didn't help matters. Marguerite hadn't exaggerated in the least when she told him and Luffy that her village was ruled by all women. Shortly after being captured, both he and Luffy and been taken to an enormous amphitheater stadium surrounded by a rows of seats overlooking a square shaped ring in the center, which was where both males found themselves sitting on. Ben was nostalgically reminded of the time when he and Kevin were abducted by Slix Vigma to fight for him after he observed them fighting on Earth.

All around him, women of the village, both old and young sat, staring and jeering at the men, while others fawned over their precious queen Hebi-hime. Coincidentally, the leader of the Kuja pirates was the very same woman whom he and Luffy had barged in on in the bath. Boa Hancock sat perched at the apex of a long set of stairs, sitting comfortably on a chair formed by her own personal snake. Both her sisters Sandersonia and Marigold stood guard by her side, staring menacingly at Ben and Luffy.

Hancock crossed her long leg over the other before beginning her interrogation of the men. "Now let me ask you men. How and for what purpose did you come to our island!?"

Luffy writhed from his position, struggling against the snakes that bound him. "Look, I don't even know how I really got here! I just ended up flying through the air and somehow ended up here!"

Ben crossed his legs into a more comfortable position. "I don't know either really. I just sort of woke up inside your prison."

Hanock was obviously displeased by their responses. "Filthy liars, the both of you! You cannot fool us with such a laughable tale. You must have some purpose to your being here." She wouldn't be fooled by these men's trickery. They could very well have tried to make an attempt on her life at the bath house. It could explain why the men had avoided her warriors and infiltrated her private chambers.

"Well if you're talking about purpose, I need a boat or ship off this island. I really need to get somewhere and fast, so if you could please provide me with some transportation that'd be great." The women of the village responded hostilely to the rubber man's request to their precious queen. They shouted vulgar and obscene comments at Luffy for his apparent lack of respect towards "Hebihime-sama".

"You will not leave this place alive, the same goes for you companion." The Hebihime said with an air of finality, as if already sealing their fates.

"Please wait! Hebihime-sama!" A voice pleaded from the crowd. It belonged to Marguerite, who had a clear look of apprehension of her face.

"Marguerite!" Her friends chided, but the young Kuja dutifully ignored them, her mind resolute.

The rowdy crowd of women seemed to temper down to hear their younger tribeswomen speak. "I do not believe that these men are lying to us. They speak of the truth. I cannot bring myself to believe that they mean harm to our country." Hushed whispers of disbelief swept through the audience, taken aback by their sister's apparent trust in these _men._

A pensive frown marred Hebihime's face. She recognized the women who'd spoken as one of her country's guards by her uniform. "Tell me your name child."

Marguerite seemed to straighten her posture and being addressed to personally by her queen. "M-my name is Marguerite."

"The simple act of entering this country mean certain death for any man. You, as a Kuja should know this well. So why do you defend them so?"

Marguerite swallowed hard, expecting a question such as this. "…I feel have I debt to them! For it was I who brought them in our country!"

"Hebihime-sama! There is an explanation for all this!" Another voice shouted from the crowd. Sweetpea; Marguerite's masculine friend.

"That's right!" Ariadne, the apologetic giant of a woman agreed. "We were the ones who found them in the forest and river. We at first assumed them to be villagers, that's the only reason we-!"

"Sweetpea! Adriadne!" Their commander Kikyou shouted in alarm as all three of the Kuja women took off from their seats and jumped onto the concrete platform, bowing before Hebihime-sama.

"We are as much to blame as she is for bringing these men into our village."

"Stop!" Marguerite cried in panic. "What are you two doing?! I'm the one who suggested we take them back to our village." She was fully prepared to take the blame for her mistake, punishment and all.

"I don't understand. First you try kill us, then you try to protect us? What the heck is going on?" Ben's question was ignored by everyone.

"So you're really nice guys after all huh? Shishishi." Luffy chuckled to himself, grinning widely.

The audience grew grimly quiet as they watched their precious Hebihime-same stroll casually down the long and steep steps the lead down her throne. They feared for their sisters, innately knowing what would happen next.

Marguerite and her friends stopped their bickering over who was to take the blame when they finally noticed that Hancock was upon them, waiting almost patiently. Hancock stepped forward, regarding Marguerite first. "Raise your head, 'Honest' Marguerite." Marguerite felt a warm tingle spread throughout her body as she felt the snake queen uplift her chin with her delicate hand, forcing her to gaze directly in her majesty's mesmerizing eyes.

Hancock smiled, knowing full well that the young Kuja and her fellow friends were entranced by her beauty, as everyone was. "Merro Merro Merrow!" Before any of the three blushing Kuja could blink, they were promptly turned to stone, frozen in whatever stance they held.

"What?!" Ben exclaimed in surprise. _"What happened?! That's the same move that she used on us before, so why have they turned to stone?"_

"Oi! What the hell's going on?!" Luffy demanded in outrage. The rubber boy circled around Marguerite's petrified form. "What the hell did you do to them?! They helped me out earlier!"

"And that is preciously why they are being punished." Hancock answered indifferently, back turned and already making her way back up the steps. "Bring out Bacura to the ring!"

"This is a warrior nation." Hancock explained. "In Amazon Lily, strength equates to beauty. Both of you will die in battle as we watch you go to your doom."

A giant and menacing looking black panther emerged from an opened gate. It stalked slowly forth, circling around its new prey, hunger in its yellow eyes. "This is the black panther called Bacura. He has served this land's Empress as a carnivorous executioner for many generations. He shall devour you until there is not even your bones left remaining."

The snakes bounding their limbs unfurled themselves, slithering away. Ben took on a cautious gaze as he watched Bacura skulk around him and Luffy. "You sure look hungry huh?"

"What's going to happen to these guys huh?!" Luffy pointed at the stilled forms of Marguerite, Sweetpea, and Adriadne. "Will they go back to normal?" His question was once again answered by threats from the audience, calling for the men's blood.

Without warning, the oversized cat leaped from its position, lunging in with its mouth agape, revealing a row of impressively sharp teeth; its mouth easily large enough to devour the two whole. Reacting to the threat, both Ben having transformed into Four Arms and Luffy struck out at the jungle beast simultaneously. Luffy stretched out his arm and hurled it squarely in the panther's angular jaw while Four Arms whipped a powerful uppercut in the chin. Their respective punch and kick hit in conjunction with a resounding _"Vwap!"_ A mix of blood and spittle flew out from the beast's mouth as it was sent hurtling through the air and into a section of the audience, whom wisely scattered away from the imminent crash. Silence permeated the stadium, the Kuja residence were shocked into silence. The momentary stupor was broken as the crowd erupted into a frenzy at the men's display of skill and strength.

"They're strong!"

"Bacura was defeated by a single blow!"

"They weren't even using Haki! It was done with pure force!"

"What's wrong with you people?!" Four Arms' voice was directed at the audience and their empress. "These girls helped us out and in return you punished them!" Four Arms was rightfully angry. Marguerite may have tried to kill them but he could see that her heart was in the right place. She was obviously at odds with her people's orders of killing any man on Amazon Lily and he held no ill feelings towards the Kuja for doing only what she had thought was right at the time. She had even admitted to her empress personally of what she had done and in return she and her friends were turned into stone! What kind of ruler, however beautiful would be as heartless as to exact such a punishment on a person, let alone one of her very own?

"He's right!" Luffy added, anger swelling within him. "When she turned your nakama into stone, you just sat around laughing." Luffy to, was irate with these people. He just couldn't accept that these people would willingly abandon their nakama. To him, nakama was the most important thing in the world, even above meat; which from a glutton like him was saying something immense.

The Kuja women grew defensive from their accusations, defending their sacred Hebihime-sama and approving of her decision.

"No matter what I may do, I will always be forgiven. Why you ask?" Boa Hancock smiled contently, brushing a hand through her midnight black hair rather pompously. "It's because I am beautiful!" The women swooned over their empress's words.

"And you to. You both will forgive me right?" Hancock asked expectantly, though she already knew the answer. Like everyone else, these men would be incapable of resisting her beauty and succumb to the natural desire of forgiving her, no matter what ill deed she committed.

"How can you ask for my forgiveness after what you did?" Four Arms asked in disbelief.

"Yeah…you really piss me off." Luffy glared at the empress, brushing off the women's words.

Hancock flinched at their words and fell back into her chair, clutching her heart as though she had been struck by a physical wound.

"S-sister! Get ahold of yourself!" Marigold hovered over Hancock worriedly.

"I-impossible! There cannot possibly exist two men who are immune to my charms!" Hancock said in denial, rejecting the mere thought. "These men's existence. I cannot bear it!" Seeing their dejected empress, the audience grew rowdier; demanding retribution.

"Sandersonia! Marigold! Take care of these nuisances."

Sandersonia's split tongue twitched as she spoke. "Leave them to us sister. We shall be rid of them."

Four Arms stood boldly in front of the sisters, all four arms clenched and at his sides. "Hey, if we beat you, promise that you'll restore Marguerite and the others." Luffy nodded his head in agreeance as he carefully moved the stone statues off to the side and away from the battle about to take place.

Marigold scoffed at the Tetramand's words. "You are in no position to be making demands _man_. After all, you'll be dead soon enough." Just as she finished her monologue, she and her sister's bodies morphed. They both grew even larger, attaining more pronounced snake like accessories, such as elongated necks and scales around their skin.

Hefting her spear, Marigold swung diagonally at Four Arms, who jumped back to avoid being bisected from the shoulder to his hip. Not letting up, Marigold began a relentless assault on the martial artist. Without a blade or sort to parry with, Four Arms was forced to evade the spear, content to study the reptile-like woman's fighting style. Just as Four Arms ducked at a strike meant to behead him, Marigold spat a glob of purple ooze at the surprised Tetramand. Four Arms rolled into a ball and sprang to his feet just in time to evade the surprise attack which sizzled perilously close to his personal space. Four Arms looked back at the spot which had been struck by the goop. The tile instantly began to melt under the corrosive adhesive.

" _Definitely don't want to be hit with one of those."_ Four Arms noted, making a mental note to be extra careful when approaching Marigold. He took a quick glance at Luffy, who was having even more trouble with his opponent.

"Gomu Gomu no Stamp!" Luffy whipped a stretched leg at the face of Sandersonia, who merely blockd the attack with her palm. Despite the power behind it, Luffy's kick simply bounced off.

"GEGH!" Luffy coughed harshly as Sandersonia's tail was thrust into the boy's abdomen, sending Luffy sprawling through the air and onto his back.

Luffy shakily got up, surprise evident on his face. "Why does it hurt?! I'm rubber…" Luffy's reverie was broken when he felt a Sandersonia's snake-like limbs coil around his body, securing his arms together.

Luffy squirmed and wiggled but to no avail. Waving him around like a toy, Sandersonia propped her arms under her chin into a relaxed position. "You can't use Haki." Sandersonia observed lazily. "Those who aren't from this island wouldn't understand. And that's why you're weak."

A growl elapsed from Luffy through gritted teeth. "A kick with your right foot." Sandersonia stated with her eyes closed.

"Eh?!" As predicted, Luffy sent a flying kick, which Sandersonia expertly weaved away from. In retaliation, Sandersonia raised her ensnared prey high above the air and bashed his head into the ground, sending a shower of dust and broken concrete everywhere.

With impressive endurance, Luffy emerged from the ground nearly unscathed save for a roughed up state of attire. "Gomu Gomu no…GATLING GUN!" Luffy prepped both arms back before unleashing a barrage of punches so fast that it gave the appearance that there was hundreds of fists hitting simultaneously.

"Snake Dance." Sandersonia hissed as she weaved through the Luffy's relentless assault without batting an eyelash. Despite her large stature, Sandersonia was incredibly nimble. Her slender viper-like body allowed her to easily maneuver around any punch that the rubber boy threw.

"What's going on?! How is she reading all of my moves?!" Luffy shouted aloud to himself. It was like the woman knew exactly what he was going to do before even he knew it. Maybe she could predict the future?

In the corner of his eye, Luffy grew alarmed as he witnessed Marigold's spear come down right on Four Arms' head. "Ben!" Luffy shouted in warning, fearful for the fate of his newfound friend.

Marigold smirked when she caught the four armed man off guard when he finally slipped up. He'd certainly been a slippery one, keeping even her on her toes as the man was able to match her move for move. But she had the advantage of Haki on her side whilst this male did not. Eventually the man known as Ben fumbled in his movement, giving her all the opening she needed to bring her spear down on his cranium.

Noticing the danger, Four Arms took a quick stance and raised his arms above him, palms open in preparation. The slightest margin of error would mean that he would lose both of his upper arms and his head, of which he had no intention of willingly parting with. A collective gasp resounded around the stadium as they witnessed the Tetramand clasp all four of his hands together around the steel blade of Marigold's spear, which hovered just a mere inch from his face; so close that Four Arms was clearly able to make out his reflection from the steel.

Marigold was immensely startled by the man's astonishing reflexes. Catching a moving blade with one's bare hands alone was a feat not many could accomplish. What came next was a battle of wills, each combatant trying to overpower the other. Marigold kept putting more pressure downward while Four Arms used his immense reserves of strength to hold the woman's blade at bay. Giving a mighty grunt of exertion, Four Arms managed to curve the direction of the spear so that it passed by him harmlessly, the blade sinking deeply into the ground from the immense power put into the weapon.

Seeing his chance, Four Arms sprung on top of the spear and ran up its body until he was right up in a shocked Marigold's face. Not wasting his moment of opportunity, Four Arms struck out with his right fist. Somehow, Marigold was able to respond to the Tetramand's unexpected maneuver and bring her arms out to block Four Arms' punch that was meant to plow into her cheek. Even guarded though, Marigold grunted almost painfully as she was pushed back from the blow.

"Sugoi! Ben is awesome." Luffy shouted excitedly, not paying attention to his surroundings, which cost him. Sandersonia took advantage of her adversary's distraction, enhancing her tail with Haki and launching it into Luffy's stomach. An eruption of spit and blood shot out from Luffy's mouth as his body flew off of the stadium and into the abyss below, where lethal spikes awaited his fall.

Gathering his wits, Luffy stretched his hands out until he hand a firm grasp on the stadium, slowing his descent. His efforts saved his life as he stopped his fall just before he was impaled by the spikes. "Phew…that was too close." Luffy sighed, panting harshly.

Lounging on her chair, Hancock huffed in annoyance. "Bah, you men are so troublesome."

"Urrgh, shut up already!" Luffy bit out as he climbed back up on the platform.

Hancock fell faint at the boy's words. "Hebihime-sama!" Her fans screamed in concern, cursing Luffy for his insightful comment and blantant disrespect for their empress.

Boa Hancock arched her back backwards, lifting her chin and pointing down at Four Arms and Luffy; using her unique way of expressing how much she felt the men were beneath her presence. Instead it made her look only more idiotic, though nobody was brave or stupid enough to comment this aloud. "Sonia! Mary! Make haste and end these men's lives already. I grow weary of their presence and disrespectful talk."

"Then the fun will end here." Marigold said with some measure of disappointment, giving a subtle nod to her sister.

Sandersonia smiled broadly, which put both Luffy and Four Arms on edge. It was the kind of sinister smile that boded ominously. "Let's grant the convicts 'despair' and 'death'." Four Arms tensed, preparing for another attack. Instead of an attack however, Sandersonia dipped her long tail off of the ring and grabbed ahold of the stone statue of Marguerite.

Real worry began to set into Four Arms, who grew alarmed as Sandersonia casually waved the delicate statue around the air as though it were a toy. "Hey! Stop that!"

"Don't touch them! What will you do if they break?! I owe them a debt after all." Luffy chimed, equally disturbed by how nonchalant the Kuja were with handling their own so callously.

"I'm going to break them." Sandersonia explained as though it were a simple thing. "While tragic, they violated our culture's law which is a crime punishable by death. Besides, seeing as how you have grown some attachment to this one, it will serve as a suiting punishment for both of you."

"Don't do this. This is between you and us!" Four Arms pleaded, trying to make them see reason. Covertly, Four Arms was preparing to turn into XLR8 or Fasttrack to make a swift move to grab Marguerite if he should have to. Though, giving how delicate Marguerite was in her petrified form, Four Arms worried that he may damage her body in the process

Luffy didn't have the same patience that Four Arms did and rushed forward, arms already in motion to stretch out and snatch Marguerite out from Sandersonia's grasp. Just as his arms were inches away from Marguerite, Marigold stepped in and wrapped her tail around the surprised form of Luffy, who'd been caught off guard.

"Fool, this is a public execution. Only your deaths can heal the wound you inflicted upon our sister's heart." Four Arms growled. With his speedy aliens, he was confident that he could recapture Marguerite but with Luffy now ensnared, he wasn't nearly as confident in that course of action. If he moved to assist either of the two, then Marguerite would be crushed.

"How could you do this?! They admired you!"

Sandersonia chuckled darkly. "Everyone on this island does, which is why they'll be satisfied with this." And with that, Sandersonia slackened her grip on the statue, letting it slip from her grasp. Luffy's eyes dilated just as he bellowed a loud scream, which echoed across the stadium. Unknowingly to the boy, he emitted an enormous pulse or wave that that immediately affected every living creature within a certain distance. Those who couldn't' resist the oppressive force that the boy exuded instantly lost consciousness, their minds shutting down as a defense mechanism to cope from the strain. Those few who had will strong enough to resist Luffy's sudden outburst of power were shocked into silence, mouths agape in disbelief.

Even Sandersonia and Marigold were not immune to its effect. Both were so shocked by the sudden explosion of haki that they didn't even realize Four Arms quick changing into XLR8 rushing to grab the falling statue with unnatural speed. Taking advantage of the distraction that the phenomena that Luffy caused in his outburst, XLR8 successfully caught Marguerite; preventing her frozen form from shattering on the ring floor.

"I-impossible! He has Haoushoku Haki?!" A person from the crowd rasped loudly, bringing an abrupt end to the silence.

XLR8's considerably keen ears caught those tidbits of words. _"Haoushoku haki? What's that? Some type of metahuman ability?_ " The wracked his mind to figure out just what had happened. He felt some kind of pressure emanating from Luffy for a minute there, but just as quickly as it had appeared the energy had disappeared, as though it hadn't even existed in the first place. _"No, that was something else entirely. Whatever it was that Luffy did, I never felt anything like it. It was like his mere presence demanded my undivided attention, and tried to overcome my will."_

XLR8 sped over the ledge onto the lower level of the stadium where Marguerite's companions were; gently placing the petrified amazon down before returning to the ring in a second. Now with the immediate threat against his new friend out of harm's way, Ben could now fight with a clear conscious and not be weighed down by the fear of accidently killing Marguerite. The Kineceleran gave a hard look at Marigold and Sandersonia, before his eyes drifted up the long cascading staircase; meeting Hancock's gaze. The empress tried to mask her apprehension but couldn't resist the temptation of gritting her teeth; a substitution she used to keep her from falling onto her old habit of chewing on her nails whenever she faced a nerve racking situation.

"Whatever issue you have with me, leave my friends out of it. This is between you and me only!" Hancock bristled. She loathed being ordered to do anything, much less by an inferior man of all people.

" _How dare this hideous creature command me to do something, and in front of the entirety of the village no less! The audacity!"_ Hancock fumed, her beautiful face contorting in rage. But for some odd reason, Hancock felt lightheaded and a certain warmth rush in her cheeks when the man spoke to her; voice filled with such strength, leaving no room for argument. She dismissed these feelings as an odd side effect of the distress that had afflicted her ever sense these men had taken in the sight of her naked back.

"Sandersonia! Marigold! Finish these filthy men off already! I want them gone."

The empress's demands were enough to rattle the Gorgon sisters back into action. "As you wish sister." They both intoned in rhyme.

Luffy pressed his hand together, cracking his knuckles suggestively, having recovered from whatever outburst of energy that he had unleashed; though interestingly enough he didn't seem to have any recollection of what he had accomplished, if he was even aware of it in the first place.

"Dibs on the bobble-headed one." Luffy said, referring to Sandesonia, who threw a nasty look at the boy made of rubber.

XLR8 made no outward reaction to Luffy's joke, whether it was made to be intentionally funny or not. "Then I've got the huge one."

Bending over to pound his right fist into the ground, Luffy took an intake of air and sighed; his shoulder's sagging slightly. The skin around his wrist folded upwards, echoing throughout his body like a vibration. Luffy did this several times, each concession turning his skin an unusual shade of pink as steam began to roll off his body like an engine spewing exhaust.

Ben took on his own transformation, though his was far more noticeable. Switching to Humungosaur, he then quickly grew to his full size pf 60 ft. His dinosaur features became more pronounced, growing Stegosaur-like plates on his back, a crest on his forehead, and spikes on his tail. Also, on his shoulders, three plates separated and grew, giving him a more ferocious look.

Marigold and Sandersonia felt as much as saw the changes that the two men undertook, and it unnerved them both. The Gorgon sisters braced themselves for what they now believed would turn into a hard-fought battle.

"Even though you possess the famed and feared haki, you lack the control to properly use it." Sandersonia's face took on a dark expression as her body undertook a metamorphosis. Her body elongated into that of a giant serpent with scales and all, and her long green hair sprouted tendrils of snake appendage heads which hissed loudly as they bared their fangs. Only Sandersonia's head had remained relatively the same.

"Yamata no Orochi!" She said in a strange combination between a whisper and shout.

Luffy didn't appear fazed in the least by the woman's transformation. Instead, the boy watched his opponent intently, waiting for the upcoming attack. His preparedness proved right as he speedily dodged a snake-head that had speared its fangs into the stone wall just behind where Luffy was standing only moment's prior. The wall caved in and crumbled its remains to the depths of the stadium where only spikes lay; some of which skewered flying chunks of debris. Luffy didn't get any reprieve for he was forced to move as a barrage of the snake-head appendages were sent in his direction.

While Luffy dealt with Sandersonia, Humungousaur never tore his gaze away from Marigold. The two were locked into an intense stare off; each seemingly appraising the other and waiting for whoever would make the first move. Ben's eyes narrowed further in concentration; a subtle sign that it would be him that enacted the first move this time. He'd seen enough of his opponent's fighting style and prowess to make a counter assault.

"Now."

The single word spoken from the Vaxasaurian was enough to put Marigold even more on edge. It was obvious that the man turned monster would be attacking now, but as to how he planned to pursue his attack she couldn't tell.

Without warning, Humungousaur bent his knees further for but a moment; the motion one takes to prep themselves for a high jump. Marigold knew this and prepared accordingly for what she believed to be a direct assault by the Vaxasaurian. And then it happened. Marigold barely had enough time to do a double take before her haki senses screamed in warning of a premonition.

"Wha-hurgh!" The Kuja sister wasn't able to finish her statement as a brown fist crashed itself into her abdomen with the force of freight train. Marigold fell hard onto the cement of the ring, creating a huge gash in the ground in her wake.

Marigold was disoriented but not unconscious, luckily. She recovered just enough to witness her sister Sandersonia being slammed into the ground via a long steaming arm, which coiled itself around her neck like one of their snakes and brought her down harshly on her backside, knocking the wind out of the bobble-headed Kuja sister.

In that instant, Marigold realized that these men obviously were more powerful than she had at first gave them credit for and were not to be taken lightly.

"Marigold! Sandersonia! Do not let these barbarians defeat you! You are Kuja!" The sound of Boa Hancock wailed over the crescendo of battle.

Their sister's odd mixture of a command and words of encouragement were all that the Gorgon sisters needed to get back on their feet with even more resoluteness that before. They would not fail their empress and they would defend their Amazonian laws until their last breathe, even against foes who were clearly strong. After all, their very identities in the Kuja village were at stake, and none of them were willing to lose all of the hard work they had accomplished into garnering the respect and adoration from their fellow Kuja sisters.

An inferno engulfed the entirety of Marigold's body, startling the men whom were understandably shocked at the Kuja's sudden combustion. It only took them a moment to gather the fact that the flames were indeed not harming Marigold. The flames swirled around like a vortex until they took on the form of salamander-like serpents. Sandersonia did much the same, unveiling more steel encased serpents.

Both Humungousaur and Luffy spared a look at each other; Humungousaur nodding at some unspoken agreement between the two. Like a snake coiled in preparation to lash out at the opportune moment, the Kuja sister's struck at their prey.

Luffy reared both his arms back, his elbows bent behind him. Humungousaur never removed himself from his fighting stance, but clenched his fists tighter.

The Kuja sisters were barely within ten feet of the men before their precognitive Haki senses went off like alarm bells. They neither had the chance to register the exact danger nor prepare themselves for what was to happen. Sandersonia felt a quick but intense jab cave into her abdomen, which was quickly followed by another, and eventually a raging storm of punches that moved so fast that the rubber boy's arms blurred, giving the impression that there were a hundred fists striking all at once. Unable to raise a counter offense, much less defend herself, Sandersonia was forced to wait it out until the punches ceased. The last few sent her careening over to the other end of the ring; again falling on her backside, which crashed into the tile with a loud thud.

Similar to the unstoppable storm of fists, Marigold only felt the sudden deep impressions that collided with her stomach. Last time she had been able to react to the shapeshifter's attack, but this time she couldn't even predict that, he was very agile and had great reflexes for one his size. The creature's blows were enough to force the Kuja onto her knees, writing in pain as she held her stomach in vain hope of relieving some of the pain. Looking up from her bent over position, her pain-filled eyes found the monster man standing a mere few feet in front of her, his posture calm and his arms hung loosely at his sides. Clearly he didn't deem her a threat, and that enraged Marigold, who forced herself to her feet in order to attack the arrogant man.

Humungousaur held up a hand, palm outward in a halting gesture. "Stop, that's enough."

Marigold couldn't understand what compelled her to appease to the man's order, but she did just that. "This fight is over. There's no reason to continue. Just turn Marguerite and her friends back to normal and everything will be fine."

"Insolent man, it is not your place to dictate the ending of this fight. It will be over when you are both dead, as decreed by Hebihime-sama." Marigold hissed through her split tongue, while bathing herself in an inferno of flames.

"Your funeral." Humungousaur growled, he then lifted up his hand and slapped the Omnitrix dial. Four prongs stuck out from the disk as another emerald light covered his form. In the wake of the flash stood a massive, forty foot tall, ankylosaurus-like creature with green skin. Downward pointing spikes stuck out of the sides of its face. It possessed a dark blue, spiked shell while its chest and torso was dark blue with spikes on them too. It had a tail with a blue mace on the end of it, with accompanying silver spikes while the knuckles on its huge hands had barrels on them.

"Ultimate Humungousaur!" he shouted.

" _What Devil Fruit does this man have?"_ Marigold thought to herself; her previous spark of worry steadily growing more prominent. Stowing her uncertainty in the back of her mind, Marigold sent a wave of flaming salamander tendrils at the ultimate alien.

Ultimate Humungousaur's hands then transformed into bio-gatling guns, shooting bone missiles at the conflagrant salamander tendrils with incredible speed faster than any bullet. One of the tendrils opened its gaping maw with the intent to swallow the evolved Vaxasaurian, but Ultimate Humungousaur whipped an uppercut up the salamander's chin, knocking it off course. Ultimate Humungousaur then proceeded to slide tackle Marigold.

Momentarily caught by surprise, Marigold raised her staff to bisect the Vaxasaurian as soon as he was within range. But suddenly Marigold's vision was instantly blindsided by Ultimate Humungousaur's mace tail, which struck her face with such force that the entirety of Marigold's frame was sent sailing backward, right into the unsuspecting path of her sister.

"Gah!" The Gorgon sisters toppled over each other in a crumpled heap.

"ARGHH! It burns! It burns!" Sandersonia screamed in anguish as her backside was burned by the flames that still enshrouded her sister's salamander form.

"OH NO! Sonia-neesama!" Marigold cried out in horror from seeing her own flames harm her sister. "Quick! Get back!"

Marigold pushed her sister in attempt to remove her from her burning body, but to her utter dismay couldn't. "Wha-! Wait a minute, I can't get back! Why!"

The answer soon revealed itself that their snake tails had mysteriously been knotted together. "When did they-?!" Meanwhile, a smirking Luffy held up a victory sign; proud of his accomplishment.

Unable to bear the pain any longer, Sandersonia began to flail wildly out of pain and desperation. Marigold tried in vain to calm her panicked sister but to no avail. Sandersonia's sporadic moving sent her careening off of the edge of the ring and into the certain death of the spikes below.

"Sonia-neesama! You're heading for the spike pit! Catch onto the stands!" Sandersonia had just enough lucidity in her to heed her sister's warnings as she tried to latch onto the stands. Unfortunately, in her blind state, Sandersonia lost her grip on the railings and began the terrifying plummet into the spike pit, much to the horror of those watching.

Before Sonia could drag both herself and her sister into certain death, a mysterious force held Sandersonia in place. Groaning in pain, Sandersonia's vision slowly focused on the figure that prevented both her and Marigold from falling. To her utter astonishment, it was the shapeshifting male that Marigold had been fighting earlier. Having now changed into another form which resembled a Pterosaur who was somehow managing to sustain them in midair through two green whips. The means that could only be possible through a devil fruit.

"Wha-? It's you!" Sandersonia managed to rasp out.

"Hey there, you looked like you could use a hand." The man replied back amiably, as if she and her sister hadn't trying to kill them only moments prior. Sandersonia would've further questioned the shapeshifter had another problem not arisen from her now burned clothing.

"Sister! Your back!" Marigold shouted in warning. Sandersonia only now realized that the cape that had covered her back had been burned off due to the flames, leaving only the remnants of smoke to cover the shameful mark that imposed on her skin.

Luffy was quick to move in on the scene and plot himself over Sandersonia's backside, flat on his stomach and arms and legs woven around the amazon's body.

Screams erupted from the still conscious audience. "AH! The Gorgon Eye. If it's exposed then we'll all be turned to stone!" Someone from the crowd shouted.

Boa Hancock watched the disastrous spectacle erupt before her, wondering just how things could have escalated to so badly for her. _"If Sonia's back is exposed then the truth shall be revealed. I can't allow that to happen."_

"The ceremony is over! Everyone evacuate the area before the Gorgon Eye can be exposed!" The Amazonian Princess's words were immediately followed without delay; no one wanting to be subject to instant fossilization.

Astrodactyl pushed upward from below Sandersonia, gently setting her down back on the ring, where Marigold immediately draped a piece of clothing around her sister's shoulders to cover her back. Sandersonia merely looked down dejectedly, as if trying to sort out an impossible question in her mind.

"Why?" Sandersonia whispered out only loud enough so that Luffy and Astrodactyl could hear. "We are your enemies. We were fighting only moments ago, so why did you help and protect us?"

Astrodactyl who had now reverted back to Ben was the first to respond. "Whatever this thing is that you don't want your people to see…it has nothing to do with our fight. Besides, I don't think either of us really want to continue this battle."

Hancock put a hand over her face in attempt to mask the tears that threatened to spill down her beautiful face. _"Never would I have thought that it would be a man of all things, two at that, that would save me and my sisters. Just what do I make of these men? Are they the threat that my people have villainized, or are they an unlikely ally?"_

* * *

 _ **AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter and also Ben and Luffy's battle. Yeah, believe it or not, Humungousaur is very agile for his size as shown in the episode Special Delivery as he was able to**_ ** _perform a slide tackle and evade attacks from multiple enemies while jumping._** _ **As for the direction of this story, I'm am following the One Piece storyline with a few minor differences. I may throw in a different outcome or situation of course considering that Ben's presence will influence the course of events in One Piece.**_ _ **Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts on the story's progression, as well as any ideas you feel that would be an excellent addition to the story.**_


	4. News of Execution

The massive amphitheater that was once filled with a nation full of Kuja women was now reduced to but a few occupants. After their defeat by the unruly men and subsequent rescue, Sandersonia and Marigold were left kneeling before their distraught sister, heads bowed solemnly in apology. Both of the gorgon sister had since reverted back to their normal forms, seeing as the battle had ended.

"We must apologize sister!" Sandersonia said, clutching her makeshift cloth around her body with trepidation.

Her sister, Marigold, nodded profusely in assent. "Not only did we lose, but we were saved by the men."

Luffy stretched his limbs, eyeing the empress. "So…are you gonna fight us next?" Luffy asked plainly, causing Sandersonia and Marigold to tense.

Hancock uncrossed her legs and straightened her back, giving the men her full attention. "No, that is enough. I'm no longer in the mood for these unpleasantries."

Ben perked up at this. "So...does that mean that you'll turn these girls back to normal? I mean, if you turned them this way then surely you can revert them back right?"

"Yeah!" Luffy shouted in agreement. "All they did was try to help us. They've done nothing wrong."

Hancock closed her eyes, trying to process just how to deal with the situation before her. Never had she actually considered complying with a man's wish before, and it was this thought that scared her. _"No, I must first confirm their nature."_

A sudden thought spurred through the empress's mind, causing a small smirk to cross her lips. _"I just have to uproot these men's true desires; a test."_

"Indeed, I have the ability to reverse their petrification. However, I shall only grant one request between the two of you." Ben and Luffy looked at each other in befuddlement before Hancock continued.

"You mentioned before that you need a transportation off the island correct? Well, my proposition is this. Either I reverse what I've done to these women here," Hancock gestured towards Sweetpea, Aphelandra, and Margaret; "-or you have my word that you'll leave this island safely to wherever it is that you need to be. But, let me be clear that only one of you will be leaving this island."

Luffy and Ben were shocked by the Amazonian empress's proposition.

"Choose now!" Boa Hancock said, garnering a smug expression. _"Now we'll see your true nature men. Show us your deceit."_ By giving the men only one choice between the two of them, Hanock had forced them to choose between saving the petrified Kuja or themselves. Not only that, but by only giving one of them the opportunity to leave the island, Hancock would test the male's friendship by pitting them against each other on who would be the one to leave.

"Wait! You can't do that. Both of us need a ship off this island!" Luffy yelled in outrage. Choosing Margaret and her friend's freedom over his one chance off the island didn't even bother him. It was the fact that the Amazon empress had forced them to decide between Luffy and Ben on who would be allowed to leave the island while the leaving the other behind. That didn't sit right with him. Luffy never abandoned his nakama, and even though the rubber boy had only known Ben for a short while, he considered the wielder of the Omnitrix his nakama.

Luffy felt tempted to force the empress and her sisters to give them a ride off the island but was prevented taking such actions when Ben stepped in. Ben positioned himself in front of Luffy, who stopped to stare into the stern and serious expression on the hero's face.

Ben shook his head which further confused Luffy. "It's okay Luffy, I know how important it is for you to meet up with your crew." He remembered how fondly the straw hat wearing pirate recalled his friends when he spoke of them earlier to Ben and Margaret.

"Don't worry about me alright? I'll be fine."

"But-" Luffy began.

Ben shook his head again. "No use arguing with me. Besides, you need a lift off this island a lot more than I do. I'm still figuring out exactly where I am and what I'll do, but at this point I don't have a need for a ship." In the event that Ben really needed to leave, he could always use either of his flying or aquatic aliens to vacate the island.

Luffy and Ben continued to stare each other down, as though trying to see who would cave in a battle of wills. When neither showed signs of backing down, both gave each other wide grins before sharing a slight laugh. After their laughter died down, both the men turned towards three confused women who awaited their decision.

Bending down on his knees and pressing his forehead towards the ground, Luffy bowed; an action that surprised all of the women present. "I never abandon my nakama, so please turn them back!"

"The same goes for me. I'd rather be stranded here then chose myself over those I care about." Ben added with a broad smile on his face.

In the far off stands of the stadium sat an elderly Kuja woman who observed the scene with a critical eye. "To have made such a decision without a single hesitation…" The elderly Kuja mused in silent shock. "Especially as powerful as they are. Particularly the boy with Haki of that caliber; bowing his head so willingly."

The old Kuja hummed in thought as she saw the strained look of consternation on Boa Hancock's face. "What will you do now Hebihime-sama?"

* * *

Shortly after stating their answer to the empress and her sisters, Hancock numbly reverted the effects of her powers on Margaret and her sisters, releasing them from their petrified forms. Lightheaded but nonetheless unharmed from the ordeal, Margaret, Sweetpea, and Aphelandra were excused from the stadium while Boa Hancock ordered Ben and Luffy to follow her back to her palace.

Ben and Luffy were escorted into Boa Hancock's private chamber, where the empress then proceeded to walk into a curtained chamber, leaving her sisters to entertain the curious men. They all sat on the floor of the room, chatting idly with each other as though they hadn't been enemies earlier that day.

Hancock raised her voice from within the curtained chamber, calling for both Ben and Luffy to enter. It was there that Hanock openly revealed the accursed brand on her back. Ben could clearly tell that the act of revealing the mark was straining for the beautiful woman, who fidgeted with a nervousness that was completely unlike the image that she normally projected.

Ben stared at the mark with an inquisitive look, unaware of the significance that the clawed footprint represented.

Luffy squinted his eyes and hummed to himself in thought. "Ya know, it's not exactly the same as the one I've seen before. There's this Fishman friend that I have that has a similar marking on his forehead that looks kinda the same."

"If neither of you know what the bearing of that marks means then its time you were informed." A new voice spoke from the room's entrance, prompting everyone to look back.

Standing at no more than few feet in height was perhaps the smallest person that Ben had ever seen. It was an elderly woman, presumably a Kuja, with large puckered lips that reminded Ben of a blowfish. The old woman also held onto a cane that was in fact her own snake, while her other hand had in its wrinkled grasp a newspaper.

 _"She's almost as small as Azmuth!"_ Ben spoke aloud to himself.

"Elder Nyon!" Marigold and Sandersonia shouted together.

A scowl set on Hancock's face. "You again! Where did you…."

"You've seen the breadth of these men's hearts with your own eyes have you not?" Elder Nyon questioned, interrupting whatever Hancock was going to say.

"You need nyot fear of telling them the truth," she continued before turning her attention to the men in question. "You boy, is your name not Monkey D. Luffy?"

Luffy perked up at the elderly Kuja's question. "Yeah, I am. How'd ya know my name?"

"You show some measure of modesty for someone who's caused such a stir in the world as of late." The elder brandished the rolled up newspaper in her hand. "I've been keeping up to date on the latest newspaper issues. This man here is the leading culprit of the momentous event that occurred on the Shabondy Archipelago, so close near Central."

"And it was there that you struck at a World Noble." Elder Nyon finished, earning an audible gasps to ellipse from Hancock and her sisters.

"A-a World Noble?!" Hancock rasped, disbelief reflecting in her face.

"Though it remains a mystery to me as to how after committing such an incredible crime and miraculously escaping one of Central's most powerful landmarks only two days ago, that you would somehow find yourself on this distant island so far away." The Elder finished with a question underlying her words.

"Like I said before, I was blown away here!" Luffy explained, which ironically enough explained nothing. "And I don't regret for a moment what I did to that World Noble either. He deserved every bit of it after what the asshole did to my friend."

"…So it's true that you raised your hand against a World Noble." Hancock spoke quietly to herself, cupping her face into her hands. "To think that there still exists a foolish man like you who'd oppose them. Like him…."

"Him?" Luffy questioned.

Ben took that moment to interject, now thoroughly lost with the conversation. "Uh, could someone explain to me just what in the heck is a World Noble?"

Every other occupant in the room turned to look at Ben with an incredulous expression on their face, with the exception of Luffy.

"You've never heard of the World Nobles, also known as Celestial Dragons?!" Sandersonia shouted, piercing through the shock induced silence.

Ben sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I guess I've been a little out the loop. Should I have?"

"How could you not have heard of them before?" Marigold added. "They're select group of nobles whose ancestors were said to have created the world in their own image. They hold more power than anyone in this world and have the backing of the entire military at their beck and call."

"They abuse their power to enslave anyone they please, be they human, pirate, Fishmen, or even mermaids."

"You're kidding...is it really that bad?" Ben blurted out.

"Yeah, I saw one those bastard nobles riding on top of this guy like he was a horse and then killed him because he was too tired to carry him anymore." Luffy added, anger shown in his eyes.

The gravity of their words seemed to settle into Ben as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why are they doing this?"

"It's their status as Celestial Dragons that entitles them the right to do whatever they please to anything and anyone without fear of retribution." Elder Nyon explained, her voice terribly grave.

"Well why hasn't anyone tried to stop them?!" Ben asked angrily, clearly unsettled by the acts of cruelty displayed by the World Nobles.

"Weren't you listening Ben?" The elder reprimanded. "The World Nobles have the backing of the entire Marine Fleet. If they feel so much as threatened they could send out an Admiral to extinguish any opposition."

"Are these Admiral guys really that dangerous?" The Kuja women all looked at each other, unsettled by the apparent lack of awareness and knowledge that Ben possessed.

A suspicious gleam grew in Elder Nyon's eyes. "Yes Ben, there are three Admirals in total and each possess frightening skill and ability. Tell us how it is that you haven't before heard of either the World Nobles or the Marines? In fact you seem to be missing a lot of common knowledge about the world."

Ben lost the look of seriousness and adopted a nervous disposition. "Uh, well you see there's a bit of story behind that." The shapeshifter said at a loss for words. How did one explain that you were the wielder of the most powerful weapon ever created that was from another universe entirely, without sounding as though you'd gone insane in the head?

"It seems you have some explaining to do, nyow don't you?" The Elder pressed, dead set on figuring out the Omnitrix wielder.

Ben sighed as he slumped down into a cross legged position. "You may want to get comfortable because this may take some time."

* * *

It took several hours for Ben to give a brief recount of what transpired during the debacle with Maltruant and his subsequent entry into this world. Every so often he would pause to answer a few questions that his audience posed. Luffy, in his unusual way of doing things, alternated between dozing off during Ben's tale and spasmodically shouting how awesome it sounded. The Kuja women however, hung on to every word the hero said, listening with rapt interest to his almost fictitious tale.

"Even though it didn't quite work out as we hoped, I was glad that I was able to stop it." Ben finished with a relieved smile. He had refrained from speaking of all of his adventures for the sake of time, as it would take far too long to recount all of his adventures and battles.

"Were this not the Grand Line I would have dismissed your story, but alas we live in a strange world indeed." The Elder spoke with wisdom becoming of her status and age. "Surprisingly, yours is not the strangest that I've heard of in my lifetime."

"That Mal guy sounded like an asshole too." Luffy added in ineloquently, while picking his nose.

Ben laughed. "Oh you have no idea."

Boa Hancock stood from her seated position and brushed off some loose dust from her impeccable clothes. "Well, I think we should conclude story time for today." She turned to Luffy. "The ship will be ready by tomorrow morning. Until then, you're free to rest in the palace, though I would ask that you refrain from wandering too far. A feast is already in the process of being made and should be finished shortly."

"Food!" Luffy shouted, getting naturally excited at the prospect of food. There was a loud and obnoxious rumbling noise that sounded like thunder going off in the distance.

The group turned to Ben, who held one hand against his stomach and the other scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Did you say that there was food? I haven't eaten since I got here!"

Hancock stifled a giggle at the man's antics. "Yes, a banquet was made in preparation for my return. You both are welcome to join in the festivities if you wa-" The Kuja Empress didn't even get to finished her sentence before the two men had already rushed off into the dining hall section of the castle, led by their noses of all things.

* * *

The feast went off into the night. Many of the Kuja tribeswomen had entered the palace to attend the banquet, both out of respect for their empress, and also out of curiosity of the strange men. It wasn't often that the ban on men was temporarily lifted and they got such an opportunity to see what the hype was about the opposite sex.

Naturally, both Ben and Luffy were the center of attention. Women crowded around the men as they witnessed the the latter into a feeding frenzy the likes of which was mindboggling while Ben was showing some women the Omnitrix and some of its features. The Kuja with the short brown hair tied by a small hair clip wrote fervently on a little notepad, cataloging everything that she witnessed the men do. The overall atmosphere was light and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Eventually the feast died down, with all of the invited Kuja women leaving the palace premises to return to their homes. Sometime after things had died down, Ben had opted to sneak out of the palace to get some fresh air. With his stomach full, Ben as XLR8 sped off into the surrounding jungle area before ascending up the incredibly steep cliffs that bordered the Kuja village. From there, Ben was able to get a clear view of the entire island.

As far as Ben could see there was plentiful amounts of jungle and land, and beyond that was the vast ocean that he'd heard so much about from the locals. _"From what they told me, there are some pretty powerful people out there. Lots of corrupt ones too."_ Ben recalled the horrifying story that Hancock had told them about her and her sister's escape from their lives of enslavement by the Celestial Dragons.

The selfless and noble hero was appalled by the treatment of Boa Hancock and the other slaves. In his mind, they were almost as bad as the likes of Vilgax and Aggregor. Like the alien warlord that he'd fought in the past, these World Nobles abused their power and even worked under a similar operation. Vilgax had indentured many worlds and races under his reign in order to increase his ever growing power, so as to dominate and terrorize the galaxy. These pesky nobles did very much the same, though just on a smaller scale than what Vilgax had pulled off before his latest defeat at the hands of Ben.

Ben already had plans on visiting these World Nobles when the time came. Though, in the meantime, the shapeshifter also had the intention of accompanying Luffy on his voyage to return to his friends. It just so happened that Luffy's destination was also the home of many of the World Nobles, and where their despicable acts of cruelty took place.

Ben let himself fall backwards freely, letting gravity set him on the rocky floor. The Omnitrix bearer let out a huge sigh of content as he gazed at the starry sky. Night had settled in, leaving a barrage of bright lights to decorate the black space. He sat there on the rocky cliff for some time, just taking the time to enjoy a moment of peace. It wasn't long before Ben eventually succumbed to a deep slumber, exhausted from the day's events and his ordeal.

* * *

Boa Hancock leaned against the wall of her room's balcony, eyes wistful and full of thought. The view from her balcony gave her an incredible vantage point of the entire scenery of the Kuja village. She spent several nights in the past on this very balcony, time she took to ponder over large decisions that would influence her and her sisters' lives.

Hancock had plenty to think about as of late. First, there was the crisis of the Marines possibly revoking her status as a Shichibukai should she decline to join them in the coming battle with Whitebeard and his allies. Her status as a Shichibukai had always been a relationship of necessity and convenience.

If it were decision, Hancock would've rather turned down the position when the Marine's first offered, but at the behest of Elder Nyon and several others, Hancock had no choice but to accept. The Calm Belt gave her people and the Kuja Island a natural defense, but even she was not fool enough to believe that the threat of the sea kings that lurked beneath its depths would be enough to drive off the Marines. The presence of the Marine Vice-Captain and his crew was proof enough of that. How the Marines had found a way to bypass the danger of the Sea Kings was beyond her, but nonetheless the Marines had found a way.

" _I suspect that Dr. Vegapunk had a hand in that department."_ Hancock mused to herself with slight contempt. _"And then there's the situation with Luffy and that man Ben."_

The men's sudden presence had initially been met with her infamous hatred and ire for all things male. Though, that animosity had withered when they showed her actions that defied the depiction that she had come to associate with men. Their sense of selflessness was something that she would have never expected to see again. The only male to ever force Boa Hancock to reevaluate her hatred of men was the incident with Fisher Tiger so many years ago, and now he was long dead.

" _Perhaps they are simply the exception."_ She had thought. Whatever the case may be, she had a promise to keep in giving aid to the straw hat boy called Luffy. Luffy had rushed into her room not too long ago, alongside a troubled Elder Nyon. Together, they relayed to her the precarious situation of Luffy's older brother figure, Portgas D. Ace and his impending execution in a weeks' time.

The young pirate that had caused such a stir in the world as of late had begged the empress to help him save his brother, who clearly meant the world to him. Her sisters had voiced their outrage and concerns of involving their precious Hebi-sama in the man's plea, but Elder Nyon seemed strangely enough, on the side of the boy. Hancock had felt compelled to assist Luffy simply from the desperation that he exuded, and the fact that he had helped prevent her and her sister's secret from being unveiled had certainly helped his cause. But there was still something holding her back, and that hesitance alone gave her pause. She told Luffy that she would think his request over the night and give him her decision tomorrow. They wouldn't be leaving anywhere until tomorrow anyhow so she had given herself some time to collect her thoughts and come to a decision. Thus, the reason for her current position on the balcony.

" _Come to think of it, that other man wasn't there with Luffy and the old hag when they spoke their case."_ Boa Hancock gasped slightly in shock as a sudden thought struck her like thunder. _"Was the reason for my hesitance somehow cause by his lack of presence on the situation?"_

The idea in itself left the Kuja Empress simply befuddled. _"Is my decision really contingent on what that man's stance is? Preposterous!"_ she denied, more out of fear of it being true than anything else. If that were even the case, then why would she value the opinion of this man, whom she had hardly known for a day, more than even her sisters or her own opinion?

Hancock pinched the bridge of her nose with tired weariness. She turned away from the balcony and entered into her chamber towards the comforting sight of her bed. _"Perhaps sleep will bring me the answers I seek."_

* * *

Ben walked into the large chamber that Hancock had given to him and Luffy for the duration of their stay. It was an isolated room in the palace that was furthest away from the Kuja populace. After awakening from a refreshing nap at the cliff top, Ben had awoken feeling energized and refreshed.

Upon arriving in the chamber, Ben took note that Luffy was discussing something with the elder Kuja woman. Ben took one look at their anxious faces and knew that something was up.

"Hey guys, what's with the long faces?"

"Ben! Where have you been?" Luffy questioned, promptly ignoring Ben's question, likely because of his absentmindedness.

"I've just been out getting something to eat. What were you talking about earlier?" He tried asking again.

This time it was Elder Nyon to answer the Omnitrix bearer. "Yesterday's paper came with grave news. Luffy's elder brother Portgas D. Ace is scheduled to be publicly executed in a week from now."

Ben's eyes bulged in shock as he turned to Luffy for confirmation. The rubber boy was more shaken than Ben had seen thus far since he'd met the pirate, which was all the indication that Benneed to know that they weren't kidding in the least. "Who's going to kill your brother?"

"It's those damn Marines. They somehow captured Ace and now they're gonna kill him unless I do something!" Luffy spoke through gritted teeth.

Elder Nyon took it upon herself to fill Ben in on the details. "The newspaper said that it was the pirate, Blackbeard who captured your brother and turned him in to the Marines. In exchange for his contribution, the Marine's awarded him with the position of Shichibukai. They'd been looking for someone to fill in the position since Crocodile's discharge from the ranks of the Shichibukai."

The elderly Kuja's face tightened with worry. "What worries me more is that by doing this the Marines have essentially issued a challenge to the Whitebeard pirates, and willingly at that."

"Whitebeard? What, is he like Blackbeard's brother or something?" Ben asked, oblivious to these new but obviously important people.

"No Ben, Blackbeard was said to be a former crew member of the Whitebeard pirates before he split off and formed a crew of his own." Elder Nyon informed the clueless shapeshifter, by now used to his usual obliviousness to any of the world's affairs or its important people of interest.

"Whitebeard is one of the four Yonkou, who are revered to be the most powerful pirates of this age. Their power and influence is so great that even the Marines and their Admirals aren't willing to challenge their might; at least until now it seems. Portgas D. Ace is a well-respected lieutenant of the Whitebeard pirates and Whitebeard himself is never one to abandon one of his self-proclaimed children. He's the sort of man who treats everyone under his crew as though they were his own child. In other words, Whitebeard would rather attack the Marines than let them execute Ace."

Luffy internally sighed in relief at the proclamation. It was some measure of relief to hear that one of the four Yonkou's themselves were out to save Ace as well, and not just himself. Whitebeard's reputation proceeded him as a force to be reckoned with, thus the reason of why he was given the title as a Yonkou.

"Those Marine fools." Elder Nyon spoke with clear distaste in her voice. "I can't believe that they knowingly forced a confrontation with Whitebeard of all people. Neither side will walk away without massive casualties. What were they thinking?"

"Knowing those fools who claim to uphold _Justice,_ I would wager that there wasn't much thought involved in the first place." Hancock's voice was heard as she entered the chamber behind Ben. She averted her eyes when they met Ben's and began to fidget under his gaze.

"Hancock!" Luffy shouted the empress's name as appeared before her, a little closer than what would be conducive for a having a conversation. The fact that Luffy had called the woman by her name correctly though, took her and the room's other occupants by surprise. Luffy rarely seemed to refer to anyone by their actual name. Instead, he called people by nicknames that usually associated with some physical or personal trait that the person possessed. The exception to this being those he cared for most, namely his nakama. That he actually used Hancock's real name, and even spoke it correctly without twisting it into some vulgar joke like _Handjob_ was extremely telling of how serious the young pirate was about saving his brother.

"Are you gonna help me? I really need to get to Ace. Granny here said that the likely place that they would be holding Ace captive until his trial would be Impel Down!"

"You want me to respond to the call for the Shichibukai?" Hancock replied sullenly. Even having the entire night to mull over the pirate's request, she was still undecided on what she should do. Hancock knew that she still owed Luffy a favor, but responding to the call for the Shichibukai would mean having to return to the place that had scarred her and her sisters when they were young. Besides that, if she were to be found aiding a pirate with Luffy's status and connection to Ace, then that would reflect badly on her already fragile position with the government.

Before the Kuja empress could make out a proper reply, Ben stepped forward, lightly brushing Luffy to the side. Once again, Hancock met the Omnitrix bearer's green deep eyes and found herself strangely fixated with their depth. Hancock's legs began to feel a little weak and her face slightly warm.

"I know that this a rather tall favor to ask, but could you please help Luffy?"

" _If only it were so easy."_ Elder Nyon thought to herself wearily. She of all people in the village knew how difficult it was to persuade Hancock of anything that she was reluctant to do, if not outright impossible. The woman's personality suited only to her needs and that of her sisters, but not much beyond that. It was also the central cause for most of the elder's vexation and stress.

" _I've been trying to convince Hebihime-sama of responding to the government's call for the Shichibukai ever since they sent the notice, but she's always turned me down, despite knowing the jeopardy that she puts our country in for her negligence. They even sent a vice-captain to personally convince and escort her back to Marineford."_

A light blush dashed across Hancock's cheeks, making her usual beautiful features even more mesmerizing if it were possible. "If that is what you truly wish…then I shall go wherever you desire."

The Kuja empress's declaration threw the sisters and Elder Nyon aback with sheer surprise. They started open-mouthed at the spectacle that was their empress, acting like a love-struck schoolgirl.

" **H-hebihime-sama actually agreed to go to Central?!"** All three of them crowed simultaneously, equally in disbelief of their empress's compliance to the shapeshifting man's request.

Both of the gorgon sister's rounded on the elder, seeking some rational answer to the ridiculously uncharacteristic actions from their precious Hebihime. "What is going on elder?! This is so unlike sister. It can't be real."

Elder Nyon looked as equally perplexed as the Kuja sisters, trying to rationalize the strange scene. She looked closely at Hancock to gauge her face and reactions. The empress had a look of fawning on her features and a faint red hue stained her cheeks. Her eyes would shyly peek at the man called Ben when he wasn't looking and she constantly toyed with her fingers. It was an action so unlike Hebihime.

" _What could've brought about this sudden change of character?"_ Realization struck the elder like a bolt of thunder.

The elder Kuja gasped. "Of course! Hebihime-sama is suffering from Lovesickness. It's the only explanation."

"Isn't that the disease that killed the previous empress?" Sandersonia questioned, glad that the others weren't paying any attention to their conversation, too immersed in planning for their trip to Impel Down.

Elder Nyon nodded gravely. If her hunch was correct and Hebihime did indeed suffer from Lovesickness, then Hancock would have no choice but to comply with the wishes of this Ben, less she fall victim to the same condition that ended the life of her predecessor. The elder's swollen lips thinned tightly with worry.

" _I'll need to speak with Hebihime-sama before she plans to depart. Thankfully, her decision to help the straw hat boy happens to coincide with the benefit of our country's livelihood."_ Helping Luffy meant that Hancock would need to appeal to the call of the Marines, which would therefore prevent the World Government from revoking Hebihime's position as a Shichibukai.

The elder heaved a weary sigh as she leaned on her staff. She then looked at the shapeshifting warrior that had somehow found a way to bring out a softer side of Boa Hancock, other than her usual cold and hard demeanor.

" _I don't know how you did it, but you actually managed to worm your way into Hebihime-sama's heart. That was something that I had feared was lost forever in her deeply troubled past. For our empress's sake and that of our nation, I pray that you aren't secretly the type of man who would take advantage of this."_

* * *

Several hours were spent planning out on how to get Luffy to successfully infiltrate the greatest and most feared prison for pirates. All the while negating any suspicion that Hancock and the Kuja women were in any way involved with the straw hat. In the end, Hancock had been able to propose to the vice admiral assigned to make certain of Hancock's arrival at Marineford, on the condition that he take a short detour to Impel Down.

Thankfully, Luffy's relatively small stature in comparison to Hancock's was what gave the young pirate the opportunity to be smuggled aboard the marine ship without notice. Hancock was reluctant to the idea at first, but eventually conceded that it was the only way to safely harbor Luffy onboard within the folds of her long cloak.

The most challenging obstacle of all was the inclusion of Ben in all of this. Hancock couldn't smuggle the both of them on board the hostile ship like she would Luffy. Hancock made the suggestion for the Omnitrix bearer to simply stay on Amazon Lily until the events with Ace's rescue was settled but Ben would have none of it.

"I can't in good conscience let you guys go to such a dangerous place without my help. From what you told me, this prison is a really nasty place where some of the most evil and powerful criminals are kept locked up. And then there's the entire Marine force that you have to watch out for. No way, I'm staying behind." Ben's words brokered no argument, and his eyes gleamed with determination to see to it that his new friends were safe. So, in order to conceal himself from the Marines, Ben transformed into Nanomech, his smallest transformation.

Hancock tried to ignore the oddly ticklish feeling in her back where Luffy strapped himself underneath her robes while there was a odd tingling sensation on her neck where Nanomech had perched on. The vice admiral had whipped his crew back into action after having been released from their fossilized confinement. At first the marines appeared confused, but were quickly harried by their commanding officer to prep the ship for departure.

"The conditions are exactly as I described over the Transponder Snail," Hancock said.

"Then only you and the snake are coming, eh?" inquired Momonga, biting on piece of Sea King meat. "As for stopping by the Great Prison, Impel Down…it's been approved. Under normal circumstances, no pirate is ever allowed near it, not even the Seven Warlords. However, this time will be an exception, but I'm afraid that we won't be able to stay there for very long. Now, come aboard."

One of the Yudas let Hancock descend from its head and onto the Marine battleship.

"It was definitely worth the wait," said Momonga. "Now I can fulfill my mission."

Hancock scoffed as she and Salome walked/slithered passed him.

"Still," Momonga started, "Considering how opposed you were to coming earlier, you still made the right decision-"

 **GRRRUUUUMMMMBLE!**

Hancock froze at the sound of that rumbling.

Momonga simple smirked.

"Even the feared Pirate Empress is still human," he said. "Even your stomach growls in hunger."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Hancock barked. "An empress, such as myself, would never make such disgusting sounds!"

"Then was that rumbling I heard?" Momonga questioned.

"I…it was me," Hancock answered with some hesitation as she kept walking.

 **GRRRRROOOOOWWL!** The rumbling noise was heard again.

"Shh…! Quiet, tummy…!"

"Luffy?" Hancock asked, her voice soft.

Inside Hancock's cloak, it was revealed that Luffy was hiding inside in order for him to stow away. Unfortunately, his bottomless stomach chose that moment to start growling.

"I'm sorry," Luffy whispered. "All of those girls were chasing me, so I couldn't get enough to eat!"

 _"Why am I not surprised?"_ Nanomech questioned in thought, irritably.

"Luffy," Hancock whispered. "If Momonga discovers you and Ben here, there will be no recourse. I promise, I'll give you something to eat later. For now, you must endure it."

"Okay," Luffy whispered back.

"Also," Hancock started, "it's getting harder to walk with you hanging on to me like this. Do you think that you could climb up by back a bit higher?"

"You mean like this?" Luffy asked as he tried to climb up.

Hancock let out a small gasp as she felt a slight brushing motion around her chest, but she regained her composure.

Momonga, on the other hand, noticed this and went up to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Do you have a fever? Are you sick? Why is your face red?"

"It's nothing," Hancock said.

"There's something strange going on, here."

Hancock turned to Momonga, who approached her with eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"First, you refuse the summons of the Warlords," Momonga said. "Then, you change your mind and decide to come. What's going on here, Hancock?"

 _"Uh oh…"_ Nanomech thought. " _Sounds like he's on to us."_

Luffy just decided not to say anything, out of fear that they would get caught.

"Are you implying that I have something to hide?" Hancock said. "I am simply coming for the good of my country." She then made a sly grin. "But if you doubt me, then go ahead. Search me and prove that I am wrong."

Momonga and Hancock soon came into a stare down.

 _"Is she out of her mind?!"_ Nanomech thought.

"Don't do that…!" Luffy whispered. "That's too risky…!"

A pause came.

"Fine," Momonga said. "I believe you." He turned back to his men. "Now…return my men to flesh and blood."

"As you wish," Hancock said as she approached the Marines. She raised her hand up to her lips. "Awaken," she said.

 **FWOO~!** She blew a kiss from her hand.

The Marines returned to flesh and blood, still swooning over Hancock's beauty.

"HANCO-"

 **THUD!** The sea men soon fell on the deck.

"Huh?"

"What just happened?"

"Why am I drooling?"

"Get underway, you fools!" Momonga barked.

"Aye-aye, sir!"

With that, the Marines prepared to set sail.

"Sister!" Sandersonia called from the Kuja pirate ship. "Please, be careful out there!"

"And come back alive!" added Marigold.

"Good luck, Snake Princess!"

"And you, too, Luffy and Ben…!" some Kuja whispered.

"I must be going, now," said Hancock. "I entrust the kingdom to you while I am away."

"You can count on us!" declared the Gorgon Sisters.

With that, the Kuja pirate ship sailed back to Amazon Lily.

Hancock was being escort to her own private quarters on the ship by Momonga.

"I'll have someone bring you something to eat, later," he said. "For now, please stay in these quarters until we arrive at our destination."

At that, Momonga left Hancock to be alone.

Hancock took a look at her surroundings. The room was decorated rather nicely with pink walls and drapes. There was a lounge by the porthole window, a coffee table in the middle of the room surrounded by two armchairs and a sofa, a stove and teapot, and a bed.

Apparently, the Marines thought that Hancock should be treated more like a guest than a prisoner.

"Luffy, Ben." Hancock said. "You two can come out now."

Luffy appeared from Hancock's cloak, heaving a sigh and stretching his legs. Nanomech buzzed off from Hancock's shoulders and in a flash of green light, turned back to normal.

"That was a close one," said Luffy. "I really thought that guy was gonna notice us! Sure was scary! Huh, Ben?"

"That's an understatement," Ben replied.

"Until we arrive at Impel Down," Hancock began, "we cannot leave this room, Luffy. The Marines must not know of yours or Ben's presence if we are to arrive safely."

"Okay," said Luffy. "Gonna be pretty boring though. What about my food?"

"You'll be fed, soon," Hancock said. "Until we reach Impel Down, you and Ben must get some rest."

Luffy nodded, now realizing how tired he was. He went over to the lounge, laid down, and before long, he drifted off into slumber.

Ben followed the straw hat's lead and lied next to him, closing his eyes and lightly snored.

"Sleep well, Luffy, Ben." Hancock whispered before she, too, decided to retire for the night. She turned off the lights and headed for bed.

Ben, however, was the only one who was not really asleep.

 _"Impel Down,"_ the Omnitrix wearer thought. " _If what Hancock told me about that place is true…then that means Luffy and I…are headed straight for is a literal hell on Earth."_

And so, Monkey D. Luffy and Ben 10,000, with the help of "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock, were soon en route to the Great Underwater Gaol: Impel Down. There, their strength would be put to the limit…and they would have to be stronger than ever before in the hope that they would rescue Portgas D. Ace from execution.

From this point on…there was no turning back.

* * *

 _ **AN: I bet a lot of you are looking forward to what comes next as we head into the Marineford arc. If you have any suggestions on how the story should proceed, Please remember to review. Until then, I'll see you next chapter.**_


	5. Impel Down

_**AN: Alright then, here's the next chapter.**_

* * *

When we last left Monkey D. Luffy and Ben Tennyson, they had both gained the trust (and affections) of "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock and the Kuja. Upon learning that his brother, Portgas D. Ace is going to be executed, Luffy and Ben were able to stow away on a Marine battleship with Hancock's help. In order to save Ace, Luffy must infiltrate the maximum Marine prison: Impel Down.

Not just that, but the Whitebeard Pirates have also begun to take action and have thus declared war on Marineford.

Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp had come to pay Ace a visit before his execution day.

All he could do was sigh at this as he sat across from Ace's cell.

"I tried to raise you and Luffy into being great Marines," said Garp. "Instead, you decided to become a pair of notorious hoodlums!"

Ace just sat there in silence; not that he could move, very much, anyway.

"I'm sure you've heard about Luffy's exploits," Garp continued. "He went and declared war on the World Government at Water Seven and practically destroyed the Island of Judgment, Enies Lobby! I rushed right over there and gave him a good ol' fashioned Fist of Love!" He sighed. "But, like always, he still hasn't learned his lesson. Now, he's gone and caused a huge ruckus at the Sabaody Archipelago. Well, that's my grandson for ya!" He broke out into a guffaw.

Ace couldn't help but smile a bit.

However, Garp soon stopped laughing.

"Oh, another thing," he said. "I told Luffy about his old man."

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _Luffy stood behind Garp, who was busy rebuilding the wall that he broke through._

 _"I have a Dad?" Luffy asked. "Who is he?"_

 _"Your father's name," Garp began, his pinky shoved up his nostril, "is Monkey D. Dragon! The Revolutionary Leader!"_

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"Luffy was quite surprised to learn that he had a father," said Garp.

"It doesn't even matter, Gramps," said Ace. "Unfortunately for me and Luffy, we both carry the blood of two of the world's most infamous criminals in our veins. We couldn't be Marines if we wanted to. I took the surname 'Portgas' from my late mother, whom I owe a great deal to, but I never, ever wanted to carry my ne'er-do-well father's blood, mostly because I have no memory of him and that I don't owe him a damn thing."

"I understand, Ace," Garp began, "but you see, he tried-"

"What I'm trying to say is," Ace spat, "Gramps…"

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _A 17-year-old Ace sat on the ground on his knees, exhausted and his shirt nearly in shreds. Towering over him stood the mighty Whitebeard and his men._

 _"You're far too valuable to die now, my boy," said Whitebeard. He reached a hand out to Ace. "Come with me, and you can roam the seas as wild and free as you wish under my name! Become my son, Ace!"_

 _Ace gasped in surprise, but Whitebeard just gave him a toothy smile._

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"My Father," Ace said. "My REAL and ONLY Father…has…and always will be…" he gave Garp a grin, "Whitebeard."

Garp just sat before Ace before heaving another sigh.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Marine battleship that Luffy and Ben had stowed away on, Luffy was sitting on the lounge of Hancock's quarters, staring at the Vivre Card, his hair concealing his eyes.

Ben sat next to him, staring at his friend in concern.

Hancock also showed concern as she spied on Luffy from behind.

However, outside, the unknowing Marines had spotted something on the horizon.

"Vice Admiral Momonga, sir! I see a pirate ship!"

"Whose is it?"

The Marine soldier zoomed in with his binoculars and saw the pirate ship's flag. It looked like a Jolly Roger with a big red nose.

"That insignia…I think I've seen it before from somewhere. I'll go look into it!"

"Don't bother," said Momonga. "If you can't seem to remember who the ship belongs to, then they must not be that infamous. Leave them be! We've no time to waste on this trip!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

On a familiar looking pirate ship, it was revealed that it belonged to none other than the Buggy Pirates, and right now, a Sea King had just appeared beside the ship.

"Yikes!" Cabaji yelped. "Look at the size of that Sea King!"

"If he sees us," Mohji began, "then he took swallow the whole ship in one bite!"

Luckily for them, the Sea King just dove back into the smooth surface of the water; the Calm Belt, where it belonged.

"Phew," sighed a relieved Cabaji. "That was a close one. Well, we came all this way, but it doesn't look like there's anything we can do! What do you suggest, Sister Alvida?"

Behind the group of clown-like pirates, Alvida walked up to them, her iron mace in her hand.

"Why are you asking me?" Alvida questioned. "It was you fools who wanted to come here AND who spent a fortune on that Eternal Pose."

"It was all to plan a rescue mission for Captain Buggy!" Mohji exclaimed. "He's held up in Impel Down, you know!"

The pirates then began to cry (comically), showing the sadness they bore at the thought of losing their beloved captain.

Alvida simply smirked and said, "Look around. We're about to enter the dreaded Calm Belt, where the Sea Kings roam and breed. Do you honestly think that we can sail this ship through _there?_ " She turned back to the crew. "There is only one safe course, and that is exclusive only to the Marines. They're not gonna open up the Gate of Justice for a crew of pirates."

"You mean we can't even get there?" Mohji asked in disbelief. "If we don't do something, Captain Buggy will be executed!"

"Along with our friend, Ace!" Cabaji added.

 **GRRROOOOOARR!** Richie growled sadly.

"Oh, and listen to poor ol' Richie!" Mohji said. "He's sad just thinking about what'll happen to the captain!"

In reality, Richie was too busy thinking about his stomach to worry about Buggy. Right now, he was thinking about a nice hot bowl of steamed rice.

"Impel Down is the maximum prison," said Alvida, "and it's nearly impossible for one to infiltrate into or escape from. It's best if you just give up on that fool. Buggy the Clown's luck has finally run out."

The Buggy Pirates fell to their hands and knees.

"No! It can't be!" cried Mohji. "Captain Buggy will not die like this!"

"That's right!" agreed Cabaji. "Until he finds the treasure island of Captain John, we will stay by his side, forever!"

 **GRRRAAAAAARR!** Richie growled, again.

"What a compassionate lion you are, Richie!" Mohji praised through his tears.

Once again, Richie's mind was still on food. This time, he was thinking about a nice fresh leg of meat.

"Oh, Richie~!" the Buggy Pirates cried as they all gave the sad (and hungry) lion a group hug.

"Well, have fun," Alvida said. "I'll be taking the _Big Top_ and you lot can have a dinghy."

The Buggy Pirates gasped in shock.

"You can't!" Mohji said. "This is Captain Buggy's ship!"

"True," said Alvida as she pointed her mace at the pirates, "but Buggy isn't here, now is he?"

"Well, no, but-"

Alvida drove the end of her mace into the deck.

"Listen here," she said. "I am not walking up to Death's doorstep and I am not letting you incompetent louts to waste this ship. You can go ahead and chase after Buggy to your hearts' content. However, I think you'll most likely die before you can even SEE Impel Down."

Mohji, Cabaji, and Richie glanced at each other in worry. As much as they hated to admit it, Alvida was right. If the Buggy Pirates just continued on their way, there was a great chance that they'd be eaten by a Sea King before they could reach Impel Down.

Plus…they were just a bunch of chickens.

"Captain Buggy!" Mohji cried. "Thank you for all you've done for us!"

"We'll never forget you!" Cabaji added.

 **RRAAAAAWWR!** Richie roared in sadness (but mostly hunger).

"Have a peaceful execution! Farewell!"

"We'll see you again, in the next life!"

 **RAAAAAAAWWWRR!** Richie roared again, this time thinking about some fried fish.

"Ah, Rich! I feel your pain!"

 **GRAAAAAAOORR!**

* * *

"This is Vice Admiral Momonga, Marine Code G100660. We are about to sail into the current, so please open the Gate!"

The Marine ship that Luffy, Ben, and Hancock is approaching the Tub Current, which is exclusively used only by World Government officials, such as Marines. It connects three of the government's central facilities…

One of which is Impel Down, the Maximum Underwater Prison.

There, one would find devices that would be used for torture, such as whips, pools of water that are used for drowning, shackles, a noose, and other devices.

One could hear the sounds of tormented screams and cries of "PLEASE, JUST KILL ME!"

A pair of prisoner had gotten into a scuffle in one of the cells, but they were soon silenced by a monstrous figure that carried an iron mace. They were thrown inside another cell, where something even more terrifying awaited them…and were never seen again. Small spiders could be seen crawling among piles of decomposing skeletons that lay in a crimson forest of needles and knives. A boiling vat of crimson liquid was placed over a huge sea of flames. The growls and roars of hungry beasts with saliva cascading from their jaws could be heard amongst the symphony of screams.

One might say…that this place was a true Living Hell.

It has been four-and-a-half days since Luffy, Ben, and Hancock left Amazon Lily, the Island of Maidens, and they were now arriving at their destination.

The Marine battleship came before the humungous Gate of Justice.

"Vice Admiral Momonga! We are now arriving at Impel Down!"

"Hurry and open the Gate!"

"Aye-aye, sir!"

The Gate opened, thus allowing the Marine ship entrance.

Luffy looked out through the window, small beads of sweat forming on his face.

Ben however, had a determined look on his face.

"So this is the world's greatest prison, huh?" Luffy questioned.

"Yeah, no turning back now," Ben stated.

The battleship sailed through the Gate, and once inside, Luffy and Ben saw that there were even more battleships surrounding a huge building in the middle of the ocean.

"We were delayed due to headwinds, Vice Admiral Momonga, sir!"

Momonga looked down at his wristwatch.

"Oh, my," he said. "We must hurry, then! Get Hancock, now!"

"Yes, sir!"

Four Marines came to Hancock's door.

"Lady Hancock! We've arrived!"

"I'll be right out."

Luffy and Ben were still looking outside, and needless to say, they were quite surprised to see so many battleships; the most that the former had ever seen.

"What the hell?" Luffy questioned. "This place has more battleships than a Buster Call!"

"Since it's the maximum prison," Hancock began, "it's necessary. You've actually seen a Buster Call, though?"

"Yeah," Luffy answered. "Is Ace really inside that place?"

"He's probably being held up underwater," Hancock said as she pulled on her cape. "Now come. Get under my cape, and Ben turn into that tiny creature and get on my shoulders."

Luffy and Ben looked to Hancock, then at each other, then back outside, and then back to each other.

"Well, Luffy," Ben said. "This is it. It's now or never."

Luffy slammed his fist into his palm, fully prepared to take on whatever this place threw at them.

* * *

The Marine battleship soon anchored in the harbor that led to the main entrance of Impel Down. Momonga, Hancock (who had Luffy hidden inside her cloak and Nanomech perched on her neck), and Salome had disembarked, and they were soon greeted by the many Marine soldiers that were there.

"Welcome Vice Admiral Momonga!"

"OOOOOH~! L-look at her!"

"It's the Pirate Empress! She looks like a goddess!"

"Her beauty is positively breathtaking!"

"How man volts is her beauty? 10,000? 100,000? 1,000,000?"

"What's that obnoxious sound?" Hancock questioned. "It offends my ears. Can't I turn these fools to stone?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't," Momonga advised. "The Marines do not need further humiliation."

"Psst…!" Luffy whispered. "Are we inside yet?"

"Not yet, Luffy," Hancock whispered. "Please, be patient."

"Your one condition to coming here," started Momonga, "was that you wished to see Portgas D. Ace, am I right? As I had said before, even though you're one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, pirates are not normally allowed anywhere near this prison. So, once inside, you will have to be put on a full-body search and wear Sea Prism Stone handcuffs. We can't allow you to do anything that might help initiate an escape."

 _"Well that's just peachy…"_ Nanomech groaned in thought.

Hancock put her hands around her chest.

"Luffy," she whispered. "They're going to search me."

"Just keep going," Luffy whispered. "I'll think of something."

"If you say so," Hancock whispered.

* * *

Inside the prison, a mysterious figure was speaking into a Transponder Snail, "What? Buggy the Clown has escaped from his cell? And he's eaten a Devil Fruit?"

One of the staff of the prison, a woman, came knocking at the open door, "Vice Warden!" she said. "Vice Admiral Momonga and Lady Hancock of the Seven Warlords of the Sea have arrived!"

"I'll be right there!"

Outside, the swooning staff had opened the gates for Momonga and Hancock, "Let's go, Luffy, Ben," Hancock whispered as she, Salome, and Momonga entered Impel Down.

* * *

Hancock (with Luffy and Nanomech in tow), Salome and Momonga entered the prison through the main entrance. Once inside, even from where they were standing, they could hear the tormented, agonized screams of the prisoners below them.

Even Luffy could hear them from his hiding place.

"What a depressing atmosphere this place has," commented Momonga. "It's like a taste of Hell."

 _"Ain't that the truth?"_ Ben thought.

As the group walked in further, they were soon greeted by a large, pot-bellied man that was like a mix between a devil and an Egyptian pharaoh. His brow ridge was shaped like horns, his chin was shaped like a pharaoh's false beard, and he wore a green-and-yellow striped nemes with his hair coming from the inside. His face in particular is designed in such a way that it looked like a Hannya mask. Attached to his shoulder-blades were two bat-like wings and in his hand was a pitchfork.

This is Hannyabal, the Vice Warden of Impel Down.

"Welcome," he said, "to my Impel Down. Whoops! Did I say 'my'? My mistake! I'm getting ahead of myself." He reached his hand out to Momonga. "I am Vice Warden Hannyabal. A pleasure to meet you."

"I am Vice Admiral Momonga," Momonga said as he shook the Vice Warden's hand.

"I heard you were coming," said Hannyabal before he looked up and saw Hancock. "Ah! This must be Lady Hancock! My Lady Hancock? Oops! There I go, again! Sorry! Anyway, that idiot warden, Magellan, is in his office on Level 4. Vice Head Jailer Domino and I will escort you to him!"

A woman appeared behind Hannyabal.

She was a slim woman with long, wavy blonde hair with bangs going over her right eye, the left eye being obscured by a pair of sunglasses. She wore the military-like uniform of the staff of Impel Down, which consisted of a short, pale brown, double-breasted jacket that was worn like a dress over a white shirt and black tie, all paired with brown boots and purple gloves far longer than the ones worn by regular staff. On her head was a standard Impel Down cap.

She was Domino, the Vice Head Jailer.

"Come with me," she said with a salute. "We'd better hurry. Excuse me, Vice Admiral, but you're going to have to go into that room to be searched."

"Understood," said Momonga as he went inside a different room while Domino lead Hancock to another.

As they walked, Hancock looked over to a fence that had what looked more torture devices.

"When prisoners arrive here," Domino explained, "they are taken into the area on the side of the fence that you see here. Their clothes are thrown into a bubbling cauldron called 'Hell's Lukewarm Bath'. It's somewhat like a baptism ritual, and it sterilizes the clothes as well. Of course, there are many different kinds of criminals here. Some recent arrivals, such as Portgas D. 'Fire Fist' Ace, Former Warlords Jimbei and Crocodile, are those types. They're just a few of the prisoners who have undergone the baptism without batting an eyelid. Most admirable, if you ask me."

 _"Ace,"_ Luffy thought while Ben could only grimace at this information.

Hancock, Salome, and Domino soon entered the room. Inside, Hancock could see a Surveillance Transponder Snail on the wall.

"Guests are searched in a private room, such as this," said Domino. "Go on in. There's nothing to fear. I recommend that you remove your cape."

Nanomech refrained from moving out of shock. He didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize the infiltration.

Luffy gasped silently from his hiding place.

"All sorts could be hidden in capes and scarves," Domino said. "We'll have to leave them here. It's not that we don't suspect you of anything, but in order to ensure the security of this facility, we have Surveillance Transponder Snails placed throughout Impel Down. They transmit continuous video to our security monitors." She pulled out a pair of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs. "Now, please put on these Sea Prism Stone handcuffs, Lady Hancock."

 _"Aw man, this isn't good…!"_ Ben panicked.

 **Ba-bump! Ba-bump! Ba-bump!** Luffy's heart was racing.

Maybe, if he was quick, he and Ben could both make a run for it before they saw them, but then…

Hancock turned to Domino with the most innocent looking face, "Please," she said, "be gentle."

"Wha…?" Domino gasped, a blush appearing on her face.

"Love-Love MELLOW!"

 **SHOON! KRINK!** Hancock fired her beam at both Domino and the Surveillance Transponder Snail, thus turning them both to stone.

"Luffy, Ben," said Hancock. "It's safe, now."

Luffy jumped out from Hancock's cloak while Nanomech flew off her shoulders, and turned back to normal, "Man _,"_ he said. "I sure was going stir crazy in there!"

"Phew!" Luffy sighed in relief. "That was a close one!" He picked up his hat, which fell on the floor when he came out, and placed it on his head. "I was afraid that we would have to make a run for it while they weren't looking!"

"Forgive me, Luffy," Hancock said. "This is as far as I can take you and Ben. From here on, my powers will be disabled and I'll have no cape to hide you with. I wanted to help you both more, but-"

"Don't worry about it!" Luffy said. "If it weren't for you, Ben and I would've gotten this far! You managed to sneak us both in here even though it was surrounded by battleships! The two of us will be fine on our own! We're strong!"

"Besides, I've been in tougher situations than this," Ben assured.

"But Luffy," Hancock said, "this fortress was designed to keep prisoners in. Whatever you do, please, don't do something that will get you and Ben in trouble. If you're both captured, you both will never leave here alive! I know you're both quite powerful, but please, promise me that you won't cause a ruckus."

Luffy grabbed Hancock's hand, making her gasp.

"Sure!" he said. "I promise! Thanks for everything, Hancock! I'll never forget what you've done for Ben and me! Someday, we'll return the favor!"

"You can count on it," said Ben.

Hancock was in too much a shock.

Once again…Luffy had just called her by name!

The Pirate Empress fell to the floor, shuddering, while Luffy and Ben having transformed into Spidermonkey jumped and hung from the ceiling.

"My life…is complete!" Hancock whispered.

"Okay, Hancock!" Luffy called. "You can turn them back, now!"

"I don't think you should refer to her by name, anymore, Luffy," Spidermonkey said.

"So this is what it means to have unrequited love," Hancock whispered.

"Hello~?" Luffy called. "Anybody home? I said you can turn them back to normal, now!"

Spidermonkey just facepalmed and sighed.

* * *

Outside, Hannyabal and Momonga were waiting for Hancock, Salome, and Domino to come out.

"They're certainly taking their sweet time," Momonga said.

"Well, it's a full-body search," said Hannyabal. "They have to be thorough about it…a thorough body check…" a blush appeared on his face. He suddenly gasped.

 _Even…THOSE parts?_ he thought as a small drop of blood came seeping out of his nose.

"What are you thinking about?" Momonga asked.

 _"BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP!"_ Hannyabal's Mini-Transponder Snail started ringing.

 _"Vice Warden Hannyabal! We've lost the video feed from the search room! Is there something wrong?"_

"Hmm?" Hannyabal hummed. "What's Domino doing in there?"

Hannyabal then knocked on the door, "Domino!" he called. "Is everything going all right in there?"

No response.

"She's not answering," said Hannyabal. He then gasped. "Now's my chance to get a peek on Lady Hancock's body search with the excuse that I had to confirm the situation due to my position as Vice Warden!"

"Now, wait just a minute," Momonga said.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing Hancock without her cape. Just in her red blouse and a pair of Sea Prism Stone cuffs on her wrists that prevented her from using her Devil Fruit abilities. Following behind her were Salome and Domino.

"Forgive us," Domino said. "The search is complete. Did we take too long?"

 _"Surveillance is back on. No problems here."_

"Very well, then," said Hannyabal.

 _"Strange,"_ Domino thought. " _My mind feels a bi hazy."_

"Humph," Hancock scoffed. "This is completely intolerable. I'm not a prisoner, you know! Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Forgive us, Lady Hancock," Hannyabal apologized, "but you must bear with it. We're only following regulations."

As they were speaking, Luffy and Spidermonkey took this chance to sneak out of the room and jump to the wooden rafters above.

"Please take me to him," said Hancock.

"Of course," Hannyabal said. "Right this way to the elevator. It will take us to the fourth floor, the Inferno Floor, where you will find Magellan. I'll have to warn you, it's going to be hot in there."

As the group entered the elevator, Hancock saw Luffy and Spidermonkey hanging from the rafters, _"Luffy! Ben!"_ she thought.

Luffy gave Hancock a big smile while Spidermonkey gave her a thumbs-up, which earned a nod from her, _"Good luck to you both,"_ she thought.

Luffy also held a thumbs-up and mouthed, "Thanks a lot!"

Hancock gasped and held a hand over her mouth, much to the surprise of those around her.

"What's the matter, now?" Momonga asked.

 _Did he say…he loved me?_ Hancock thought before she soon collapsed, her cheeks pink.

"L-Lady Hancock!" Hannyabal cried. "Are you all right?"

"What's wrong with you?" Momonga questioned. "You've been acting so strange lately!"

The elevator began to descend, which gave Luffy and Spidermonkey the opportunity to go proceed with their rescue mission.

"Okay, Ben," Luffy said. "Where do we go, now?"

"How the heck should I know?" questioned Spidermonkey.

"That guy did say that the elevator goes down to the cells," Luffy pondered aloud, "and Hancock did say Ace is somewhere below. Oh, wait!" He pulled out his brother's Vivre Card from the ribbon of his hat. "I still have this! C'mon, Ben, while there's still time!"

Ben nodded as he returned to normal.

And so, with their infiltration successful, Luffy and Ben ran to rescue Ace.

 _Time remaining: 32 ½ hours._

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the prison, or rather, underwater, a huge striped Sea King was seen swimming by, just minding its own until…

 **GRAAAAAAARRR!** The huge beast suddenly roared in agony before it fell limp…dead.

Large chunks of its flesh were seen falling off and were being carried off by these strange, burly, masked, gorilla-like creatures that wielded double-sided axes and wore blue cloaks with a black skull painted where their faces should be. The creatures then swam up to an opening that led back inside the prison.

 _"The Blugori Jailers have returned. Food collection compete. Open the hatch."_

The creatures, now known as "Blugori" jumped out of the water and shook themselves dry.

"Good work," said one of the staff.

* * *

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Sirens were blaring all around and red lights were flashing on and off.

Inside the monitor room…

"There he is! I found him!" said one of the staff as he picked up a Transponder Snail. "The missing inmate, Buggy the Clown, from Level 1, Group Cell No. 4, has been sighted in the corridor near Solitary Cell No. 22! Capture him, immediately!"

* * *

In said corridor, a shadowy figure was seen sneaking about until the alarms went off.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "They spotted me!" He turned a Surveillance Transponder Snail and somehow shot his fist at it to punch it. "You damn flashy snail!"

* * *

Inside another cell, a group of inmates were laughing at an escaper's expense.

"You hear that? Sounds like Buggy got caught!"

"That's what he gets for trying to escape without us!"

"They're gonna torture that son of a bitch for sure! Hee-hee-hee!"

A large pack of Blugori were seen charging passed the cells, earning cheers from the inmates.

"Whew! There go the Blugori!"

"Yeah! Go get him!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Luffy and Ben were following the direction of the Vivre Card, but all it kept doing was pointing downward, not to mention lead them to a dead end.

"Damn," Luffy cursed. "Why does the Vivre Card keep pointing down? We just ran into another dead end!"

"Maybe it's trying to tell us that your brother is below us," Ben suggested.

"Yeah, but I thought we'd be underwater by now," Luffy said.

While Luffy was wondering about their current situation, Ben suddenly perked up at the sound of footsteps and voices, and it sounded like they were coming from the flight of stairs to their right.

"It's Prisoner No. 8200."

"He has Devil Fruit powers, so don't forget the sea prism stone."

"He won't get away from us, easily. No prisoner has escaped Impel Down alive! Well, expect for that one time."

"Oh great," Ben muttered. "Quick, Luffy! We need to hide!"

Luffy nodded in agreement before Ben transformed into ChamAlien and then they both headed up to the rafters, just as the guards came down, armed with rifles. The large door that Luffy and Ben ran into opened, thus allowing them to sneak in, unnoticed.

"Sweet!" Luffy whispered. "We're in, Ben!"

The guards ran through the door and split in two separate groups, hoping to corner the escaped prisoner.

Luffy and Ben had just entered Level 1, the Crimson Hell. Why it was called that, the two didn't really see, and right now, they didn't really care. Nothing seemed crimson around here, anyway. The hero and the pirate stood up on a higher level above the guards as they ran through the corridor.

"Man," Luffy whispered. "This place is huge!"

"Meh," Ben shrugged. "I've seen bigger _."_

"Anyway," Luffy began, "we better keep going."

Ben nodded in agreement before they ran down the corridor. Along the way, they could hear the agonized, horrified screams of the tormented inmates.

"Screams…?" wondered Luffy.

 _"My God…!"_ The Omnitrix wearer thought as his face darkened.

"Aw, well," said Luffy, just shrugging it off. "We gotta keep moving!"

"Psst! Hey, you two!"

Luffy and Ben soon braked to a halt, the former jogging in place, and turned to a group of prisoners.

"How'd you guys get out?" asked one inmate.

"Out?" Luffy repeated, questioningly. "What are you talking about? Ben and I came from outside! See ya!"

"No! Wait! Don't lie to us, you little weasel!"

"Who the hell are you guys, anyway?"

"Yeah! You two don't look like one of the guards!"

"Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to know where Ace is, would ya?" Luffy asked, quickly.

"Ace?" the prisoners repeated in disbelief, "You mean 'Fire Fist' Ace?"

"Yeah," Luffy answered. "He's my big brother, and Ben and I came to bust him out."

"Ha! Do you guys hear this kid? He's nuts!"

"Yeah! Coo-coo!"

"Screwball!"

 _"Jeez, is everybody in this world so loud?"_ Ben thought.

"I heard he got thrown in here," said an inmate in the cell behind Luffy, "but odds are he's in Level 5, where the ones with bounties of over 100 million Berries are being held. It's impossible!"

"Hey, kid, while you're down here, you think you and your friend there can go to the guard's room and steal the keys to the cell for us? Huh? What do you say?"

"Yeah, c'mon kid! Please!"

"Be a pal!"

"What are the chances of us meeting in this great, big world, eh? You've gotta be a godsend! C'mon!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Ben said in disbelief, "No way!"

"What's Level 5?" Luffy asked, completely ignoring the prisoners' pleas.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Luffy and Ben turned upon hearing that scream and turned to see a group of the Blugori chasing after the same shadowy figure from before.

"What the heck?" Ben questioned, "What are those things supposed to be?"

"They're chasing that guy!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yikes! It's the Blugori! Run for it, kid!"

"Blue what?" Ben asked.

"Hey, kid! You and your friend better run for it! Those things will kill you both in a heartbeat!"

 **UHOHO!** A Blugori grunted as it grabbed the escaping prisoner by the shoulder. It pulled out its axe and **SLASH!** He cut the guy vertically in half!

"Whoa!" cried Luffy. "Ben, quick! Let's get outta here!"

Ben nodded as before transforming into Fasttrack as he and Luffy turned tail and ran like there was no tomorrow as the Blugori gave chase. Following behind them was the guy who got cut in half. It was revealed to be none other than Buggy the Clown, one of Luffy's many nemeses, struggling to run, but due to him being split up, his halves could only hobble.

"DAH!" Buggy cried. "I can't run like this!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS?!" Luffy questioned.

 _"How is that guy even still alive after that?"_ Fasttrack thought as he turned to Buggy.

 **SHLUP!** Buggy's halves soon rejoined, making him whole, again.

"Ha-ha!" the clown pirate laughed. "No one cut a Chop-Chop man, you stupid Blugori!"

 _"A Chop-Chop man?"_ Fasttrack repeated in thought as he kept running, _"Not the weirdest thing I've heard today."_

At that moment, Buggy finally noticed that he was running alongside Luffy.

"GAAAAAAH!" he screamed, his body splitting apart. "Straw Hat? What the hell are you flashily doing here?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Oh! It's you, Buggy! Long time, no see!"

"Don't give me any of that crap!" Buggy barked. "So, they finally caught you, eh, Straw Hat? Serves you right!"

"What are you talking about?" questioned Luffy. "Ben and I didn't get caught! We broke in!"

"What?" Buggy yelled. "What kind of a flashy fool would break INTO a prison? Unless…" He suddenly became tearful. "Unless you heard about me being in here and came to rescue me!" He shook his head in disbelief and returned to being angry. "BAH! That's bull! What a revolting thought! You coming to save me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Luffy yelled. "I promised Hancock that we wouldn't cause trouble, and look what you've gotten us into!"

"Well, he actually does have a point there," said Fasttrack as the three narrowly escaped getting slashed by an axe.

"Do you think I'm doing this for fun?" shouted Buggy. "My great Buggy-Sneaky-Escape Plan has been ruined, too!"

"Whatever," Luffy said bluntly.

"WHAT?" Buggy questioned.

Up ahead, more Blugori were seen blocking their path.

"Uh-oh!" Luffy said. "Here come more of them!"

"Damn!" Buggy cursed.

"Now what?" .

"We don't really have to run, do we?" Luffy asked.

"Are you out of your mind?" barked Buggy. "If they catch us, they'll torture us! You don't how ruthless these flashy freaks are!"

"Who're you calling "freak", big nose?" Fasttrack insulted.

"We can't get caught," said Luffy. "We're in a big hurry, right now. Well, guess there's no point in sneaking around, anymore. We've already caused a ruckus, huh, Ben?"

Fasttrack just gave Luffy a deadpan stare.

Buggy just heaved an exasperated sigh.

"That's just what I hate about you and that red-headed bastard friend of yours," said Buggy. "You and your devil-may-care attitudes!" He raised his head up. "Fine! You win! I'll do it! We'll change this escape plan from sneaky to flashy!"

"Sounds good to me!" Luffy agreed.

In a green flash, Ben transformed into Rath causing Buggy to look at the bipedal tiger with his jaw dropped.

 **UHOHOHO~!** The Blugori lunged at their victims.

"Gum-Gum PISTOL!"

"Chop-Chop CANNON!"

"SIRIUS BUTT KICKING!"

Luffy and Buggy punched two Blugori in the face while Rath punched another in the gut. Two of the Blugori charged Luffy, who quickly jumped out of their way. As he stood behind them, he outstretched his leg.

"Gum-Gum…WHIP!"

Luffy made a sweeping kick with his leg and slammed the Blugori into the wall. Rath charged at one Blugori, who charged back at him. The Appoplexian ran at full speed.

"POLARIS PILEDRIVER!" Rath grabbed the Blugori, turned him upside-down, and drove it head-first into the mat. Cracking the Blugori's skull.

"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING BLUGORI! NOBODY CUTS PEOPLE IN HALF WHEN RATH IS ON THE JOB!"

One Blugori charged Buggy with axe wielded. "DAH!" Buggy screamed. "No, no, please! Don't kill me!"

 **WOHO!** The Blugori grunted as it raised its axe, prepared to swing.

"Heh," Buggy smirked. "Just kidding. Chop-Chop QUICK ESCAPE!" Buggy's head came flying off of his body and into the air. Then, he grabbed the Blugori by its chest and lifted the beast into the air, first by splitting his torso from his waist and then his hands from his arms.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Buggy cackled. "Now fall and flashily spilt your skull open! AERIAL TAILSPIN BIG TOP!" Buggy sent the Blugori spinning down, headfirst into the floor.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Buggy laughed as he body became whole again. "Well? How's that, sea gorilla?"

 **WOHO…!** The Blugori stood right back up making Buggy yell in shock, "It didn't stop him?"

The recovered Blugori then gave chase after the Chop-Chop man, throwing punches at his splitting body.

"No, wait!" Buggy cried. "Stop that! Leave me alone, you sea ape!"

"Gum-Gum BULLET!" Luffy laid a strong punch to the Blugori's gut. A pause came, until the large beast fell to the floor, defeated.

"Well," said Buggy, "it looks like you've gotten stronger since the last time we met, Straw Hat."

"These guys are tough bastards," Luffy commented. "What the heck are they?"

"They're called Blue Gorillas," Buggy answered. "They're the ocean's martial artists, but down here, we call them 'Blugori'! Don't drop your guard just yet! After all, there are still four of them left." He turned to see Rath standing on the bodies of the four remaining Blugori. "YOU AND THAT TIGER ALREADY BEAT THEM?"

"Well, Ben and I don't have time to fight them all!" Luffy said.

Before Buggy could say anymore, Rath suddenly lunged at Buggy, who yelped in surprise, but his yells of surprise soon turned into yells of pain when Rath began to twist his right foot in a different direction.

"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING BUGGY THE CLOWN! NO ONE YELLS IN RATH'S EAR WITHOUT GETTING A MAJOR BEATING!"

"DAAAAAAH!" Buggy screamed. "GET THIS DAMN, ANGRY TIGER OFF ME!"

"Ben, no!" Luffy cried as he attempted to pry Rath off of the clown pirate. "C'mon, let go! I know it looks funny, but we don't have time for this! Let go of him! C'mon!"

Rath then turned to back to normal, with Ben now looking a bit sheepish, "Uh, sorry about that. Rath gets a little carried away sometimes."

The prisoners, on the other hand, were amazed at Luffy and Ben's display of strength against the Blugori.

"Whoa…" said one. "That kid and that monster man kicked some real Blugori ass!"

"Hey, kid! Who are you?" questioned another.

"Get us outta here, please!" cried one more. "Get the key!"

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in another corridor, the guards had just received new information from another member of the staff via Mini Transponder Snail.

 _"I thought there was only one escapee on the loose."_

"So did I," said the guard.

 _"I'm not entirely positive, but we thought we saw two more. They were in front of the Community Cell No. 10 on Level 1...and they've defeated five of the Blugori!"_

"What? That's impossible! There's not a prisoner on Level 1 that could be a match for the Blugori!"

* * *

Back with Luffy, Ben, and Buggy, the straw hat had just gotten through explaining the situation to the clown pirate.

"WHAT~?" Buggy cried. "YOU'RE HERE TO SAVE ACE?" He then lowered his voice to a whisper, putting a finger to his lips. "Quiet! They'll hear us!"

"You're the one who's yelling," Luffy remarked.

"Yeah, over dramatic much?" Ben pointed out.

"C'mon, guy!" said one of the prisoners. "Get the key for us! Be a pal!"

"SHADDUP!" Buggy barked as he kicked at the cell bars.

"So you know Ace?" asked Luffy.

"Yeah, I do," Buggy replied as he strapped one of the Blugori's axes to his back. "And, unlike you, your brother is more polite than you are! We ended up being drinking buddies a couple of months ago. Too bad he got captured. The Marines must be crazy to arrest one of Whitebeard's men!"

"Well, the two of us have to get to Level 5," Luffy said. "We heard that Ace might be down there. Where is he?"

"How the hell should I do know?" Buggy questioned. "You and your crazy friend can go wherever you please! I could care less! I mean, what do you think we are? Pals or something? I'm not stupid to go down there! It's suicide, I'm telling you!" He then turned to leave. "Well, thanks for getting me out of that jam, at least. I'm out of here, Straw Hat!"

"I seriously doubt you'll make it," said Ben. "This whole place is surrounded by a dozen battleships. You really think you can get out of there without any guards spotting you?"

Buggy just snorted in response, again.

 _They must be expecting Whitebeard to attack this place,_ he thought. _Maybe I picked a bad time for an escape. Perhaps I'll kill some time and…wait a minute._ He looked back at Luffy. _Is that…?_

"Looks like I'll have to ask somebody else," Luffy said to himself.

"Get the key…!" one of the prisoners muttered.

"No…" Buggy said as he turned away. "It couldn't be!" He then did a double-take. _Could it?_

"Well, see ya later, Buggy," said Luffy. "Ben and I are off to Level 5! Good luck with your escape!"

Buggy may've been looking to Luffy, but his eyes were really set on his glass arm band on his left bicep.

 _It…it is!_ the clown thought. "WAIT, STRAW HAT!" Buggy cried as he tackled Luffy to the railing.

"WHAT IS IT NOW?" Luffy snapped.

"There they are!" Gunshots were fired.

The trio had been spotted.

"GAH!" yelped Buggy. "They've found us!"

"Uh, yeah!" Luffy said. "BECAUSE YOU KEEP SHOUTING!"

"You were just shouting, too Luffy!" Ben exclaimed. "Oh, who cares? RUN FOR IT!"

With that, the three made a for a quick exit as the guards gave chase.

"Straw Hat!" Buggy exclaimed. "That arm band! I want it! Give it to me!"

"No way!" Luffy said. "Nami gave this to me as a gift!"

"I'll tell you how to get Ace~!" Buggy declared as his torso flew up into the air.

"You will?" Luffy asked, hopefully.

 _"I really don't trust this guy,"_ Ben thought.

"Of course!" Buggy agreed. "But only if you give me that arm band!"

"Sure! It's a deal!" Luffy said.

"Excellent!" Buggy exclaimed. "But first, we have to flashily get these guards off our tail! Hold my feet!"

"Your feet?" Luffy repeated.

 **SHUMP!** Buggy's feet threw themselves into Luffy's arms.

To further explain Buggy's powers, he can detach any part of his body and move them at will, but the range of his abilities is limited. His body part may be able to fly, but his feet cannot.

"Now, follow me!" Buggy ordered as he flew off with Luffy and Ben following behind. "I'll take you and your friend to the entrance to Level 2!"

"Level 2?" Luffy repeated as he and Ben jumped over a pit in the floor. "But Ben and I are trying to get down to Level 5!"

"You can't get just get there directly from here!" Buggy remarked. "Listen and listen good, Straw Hat! The uppermost underwater level of Impel Down is Level 1, where we are now. Level 2 is below us and Level 3 is below that and so on. The farther down you go, the more dangerous the prisoners! They sent me down to Level 4 to be tortured, but I don't know anything about the levels below that one, but Level 5 prisoners are the most wanted prisoners in the world with bounties of over hundreds of millions! It's a terrible place! And some prisoners are sent to a level that's even lower than that! There're monsters there, so dangerous that they've been erased from history! It's only a rumor, but that level may be where Ace is being held! Anyway, I can get you to Level 4! After that, you and the monster guy are on your own!"

"Okay, thanks!" Luffy said.

Buggy smirked which didn't go unnoticed by a certain hero.

He never would've thought that he would find the marker that would lead him to the fabled treasure island of Captain John in a place like this. He and his crew had been searching different islands in the Grand Line, but to no avail. Buggy's luck finally ran out when he accidentally stepped into a Marine base by mistake and was instantly arrested.

 _"This must be a blessing in disguise!"_ he thought to himself.

"You sure got helpful all of a sudden, Buggy," said Luffy.

Buggy cackled and said, "Of course! You promised to give the treasure marker that would show me where Captain John's loot is!" He snorted and covered his mouth.

 _"I really have to keep my big mouth shut!"_ he thought.

 _"I knew there was a catch!"_ Ben thought as he glared at the clown pirate.

"I guess they kept you on Level 1 since you're such a wimp, huh?" Luffy joked.

"SHUT IT!" barked Buggy.

 _"So he didn't notice, after all!"_ he thought. " _I forget that he has the attention span of a rodent!"_

"So this arm band is a treasure map, huh?" Luffy asked. "I didn't know that!"

Buggy then grabbed at the axe strapped to his back.

"So, you heard me, after all!" he said. "Well, it looks like I'll have to take it by force!"

Ben prepared to go Rath on this guy again if he tried something, but then…

"Here you go!"

Luffy just held out the arm band to Buggy.

"What?" Buggy questioned. "You…you're going to give it to me, even though you know what it is now?"

"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "We made a deal and all! We just care about getting Ace outta here!"

Ben looked back and saw two Blugori jumped up and chase after them.

 _"Are you freaking kidding me?!"_ he cursed in his head.

"B-but…" Buggy stammered, "if you give me the band now, I might leave you and your friend to fend for yourselves!"

"Well, yeah," Luffy began, "but you said you'd take me to Ace!"

"Can't you see he's not really making any promises?" Ben said in disbelief, "Seriously, no one's that gullible!?"

Buggy suddenly turned, a waterfall of tears falling from his eyes, " _Don't look at me, that way!"_ he thought. " _I'm a good-for-nothing bastard! People like you shouldn't trust the likes of me!"_

He took the arm band from Luffy's grasp, " _At long last…it's mine! The treasure marker of Captain John that I've been searching for! Thank you…Straw Hat!"_

He then dropped his tearful visage and grinned, " _Now to ditch these two fools!"_

Before the clown pirate could do just that, he crashed backwards into a wall because he wasn't looking he was going.

 _"Well that's karma for you,"_ Ben thought.

"Hey!" said Luffy. "Is that some kind of a shortcut? Lemme try!"

"NO! WAIT!" Buggy protested. But it was too late as Luffy smashed Buggy right through the wall with Ben following right behind them, and they ended up right into a room full of guards.

"Who are they?"

"It's him! The escaped prisoner, Buggy the Clown!"

"But who's the boy and that man?"

 _"The guards!"_ Buggy thought. " _Then that means…!"_

"STRAW HAT! STOP!" cried Buggy. "DON'T GO ANY FURTHER~!"

"What? Why?" Luffy asked. He soon got his answer when he pushed Buggy through another wall, and on the other side, they found a huge crimson forest.

 _"Monitoring room! There ARE three of them! They just…"_

"What is this place?" Luffy asked as he, Ben, and Buggy fell.

"A forest in a prison?" said Ben, questioningly.

"Why are the trees all red?" Luffy asked. "And why are there are people down there?"

"They're all prisoners!" answered Buggy. "And this is no ordinary forest! The leaves on the trees are all like knives! And that's Spike Needle Grass below them! The jailers released poisonous spiders down there! The victims get cut up so bad, the whole place is stained red with their blood! WELCOME TO THE LEVEL 1 OF IMPEL DOWN: THE CRIMSON HELL!"

Luffy swallowed the lump in his throats while Ben had a look of utter disgust on his face. They felt their stomachs turning with nausea and distress at the gruesome sight that laid before their eyes as their ears burned from the cries of agony from the prisoners.

They could see now why this place was called a true Living Hell.

"I sure hope is gonna be okay," Luffy mumbled.

"I'm sure he's fine," Ben said as he transformed into Big Chill, using his intangibility to maneuver through spikes as if they weren't even there to begin with.

"Right, then!" Buggy said. "It looks like we've got no choice but to go straight down!"

"Are you outta your mind?" Luffy said. "We'll be cut to shreds!"

"You forget that I can't be cut!" Buggy retorted. "Now you just shut up and hang on! Throw my feet to the ground!"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay."

Luffy threw Buggy's feet down at the needle grass, and instead of them getting cut, they just got split up. Buggy's feet began to run along the grass. Buggy soon came through the forest with Luffy on his back and Big Chill flying right beside them.

"As long as my feet are on the ground," Buggy began, "this is easy!"

"Now what?" Luffy questioned.

"You need to find the stairway that leads to the floor below this one! You don't even need a key to open the gates! Oh! I just remembered! There's a way out! An easy exit for the prisoners to get out of the Crimson Hell!"

"An exit?" Luffy repeated.

"Never thought there'd be an exit from Hell," said Big Chill in an icy tone.

Buggy soon brought Luffy and Big Chill to a hole in the middle of the spikes.

"Here we are!" he exclaimed. "But none of these fools would even think to use it because it leads to Level 2, and Level 2 is an even more terrible Hell than this one!"

Luffy and Big Chill looked down into the darkness of the hole.

"It's like there's no bottom!" Luffy said.

"Just like your stomach," Big Chill said jokingly.

"People want to escape from Hell!" Buggy said. "There's no one fool enough to jump into it on purpose!"

"This is perfect!" Luffy exclaimed. "We just have to jump right in, am I right?"

"Well, yeah," Buggy replied, "but at the bottom is…"

"Here we go!" Luffy said. "C'mon, Ben!"

Big Chill inwardly sighed at Luffy's recklessness as the Straw Hat and the hero went down into the hole.

"H-hey! Wait!" Buggy called after them.

Luffy and Ben were now too far down to hear.

"It sure is deep," Luffy said as he was diving while Big Chill was flying down. "I wonder what's at the bottom."

"If there even is a bottom," said Big Chill.

"That impulsive idiot," said Buggy. "Isn't he afraid of anything!" He chuckled evilly as he held up the arm band. "Still, at least now, I can run away and be rid of that bastard! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I ditched him! And the treasure marker of Captain John is finally mine! I'm not dumb enough to take you and that mutt all the way down, Straw Hat! You two can go ahead and go down to Level 3 or 4 and run to your deaths like lemmings! HAHAHAHAHA!"

From behind Buggy, and axe appeared and sliced his head off (not killing him, of course). Looking back, he saw that it was one of the Blugori.

"DAMN BLUGORI!" Buggy cursed. "YOU CAN'T CUT ME, YOU FOOL! I'M A CHOP-CHOP MAN!"

However, Buggy didn't realize that his body was slipping into the hole…straight to Level 2.

"Uh-oh…" mumbled Buggy.

* * *

Up in the monitoring room, one of the staff was speaking into a Mini Transponder Snail, "All three have fallen into Level 2."

 _"Please confirm!"_

* * *

 _ **GRAAAAARR!**_

 _ **RAARGH!**_

 _ **GRAAAAAAAHHH!**_

This was Level 2 of Impel Down: the Beast Hell.

The halls were filled with the angry roars of countless creatures, and the air smell foul with their breath.

"What's up with the monsters?"

"They're acting angrier than usual!"

"Is it time for them to eat or something?"

"Who cares?"

Inside one of the cells, a prisoner sat on a bench, awaiting his fate. However, he was no ordinary prisoner. He was former Baroque Works agent: Mr. 3.

"I'm too weak to even be scared," said Mr. 3. "It doesn't matter what's gotten these mindless beasts riled up. We'll all end up in their stomachs, anyway!"

* * *

 _ **AN: Okay, let's stop here for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I promise the next update will come sooner than you think.**_


	6. Unexpected Allies

_**AN: I'm glad that this story has gotten so much feedback. I really do appreciate it.**_

* * *

"WAAAAAAAAAAH! I JUST GOT THROUGH BREAKING OUT OF PRISON, AND YET HERE I AM, FOLLOWING SOME IDIOT BOY AND HIS WEIRD FRIEND TO ANOTHER HELL~!"

Luffy, Big Chill, and an unwilling Buggy all went down, down, down towards the second level of Impel Down: the so-called "Beast Hell".

The two pirates all landed with a resounding crash while Big Chill was able to use his wings to slow down his descent.

"Ow…!" Buggy seethed, his disembodied head afloat in the air. Taking a look around, he saw the same brick walls and corridors that had been seen in the Crimson Hell, but all around, he could hear the growls and roars of different beasts. "This place gives me the creeps." He grumbled before he smirked and turned to his headless body, which the treasure marker that was once on Luffy's arm. "But still, at least I finally have this! With this, I can finally find Captain John's loot! And now, to find my way out of this-"

A rubbery hand grabbed Buggy by his ponytail and pulled him close to Luffy, who was running alongside Ben who had turned back to normal, and forcing Buggy's body to follow them.

"Okay, Buggy!" said Luffy. "Where do we go from here?"

"N-now, hold on!" Buggy cried in protest.

Luffy, Ben, and Buggy ran this way and that, up and down, all around, but they couldn't seem to find a way to the next level.

Instead, they just kept running into a dead end.

"Damn," Luffy cursed.

"Well, now what?" Ben questioned, "I know next to nothing about this place. I don't know my way around here."

Luffy looked around, taking in the beastly sounds of animalistic growling and roaring.

"So this is Level 2, huh?" Luffy asked.

Buggy's head went right back onto his body. He panted, trying to catch his breath."Yes, it is," the clown pirate answered. "This place is worse than the Crimson Hell! They call it the 'Beast Hell'! Damn you, Straw Hat! You and that shapeshifter friend of yours had me running around like a flashy idiot! This forsaken place has all the beasts of Hell running rampant around here!"

"Beasts of Hell?" Luffy repeated.

 _"Damn it all,"_ cursed Buggy in thought. " _Well, until I get my chance to ditch these two, I guess I can use them for a while."_

"Uh, hey, Buggy," Luffy said.

"What?" asked Buggy, irritably.

"Is that one of them?" Luffy asked as he pointed behind him. "Those beasts of Hell, that is?"

Buggy gasped and turned. "Crap!" he cursed. "They found us, already!"

 _ **"Grr…!"**_ A low growl sounded off in the darkness of the corridor. It grew louder and louder as its owner drew near.

Ben stepped forward, unafraid, prepared to face one of these so-called 'Beasts of Hell', while Luffy and Buggy stood behind them, the latter appearing more nervous.

However, as the creatures stepped out of the shadows, the trio soon saw, to their confusion that it was a cute, little hippo.

"It's a hippo," said Luffy.

"Uh…yeah, it is," Buggy agreed.

"Are you kidding me?" said Ben.

"It's smaller than a regular hippo," said Luffy. "Is this one of those 'beasts of Hell'?"

Buggy chuckled and said, "Well, isn't this a little bluff? I honestly that the beasts of Hell would be more-"

 **CHOMP!** It appeared that Buggy spoke too soon, for the little hippo's mouth suddenly grew huge and ate his torso, leaving only his head and legs!

"DAH!" Buggy cried. "RUN, STRAW HAT!"

Luffy and Ben soon went running after Buggy as the hippo charged them, right through a wall. It soon turned around and ran after them, and at an incredible speed, to boot!

"Wow!" Luffy said. "That little hippo sure is fast!"

"Yeah," agreed Ben, "I gotta admit, I'm a bit impressed."

"Don't go admiring it!" barked Buggy. "Quick! Turn left!"

The three did just that, and the hippo went crashing through another wall as they did.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Buggy laughed. "Dumb, flashy hippo! Since he can't turn, all he can do is just crash into walls!"

 _"Why do I have a feeling that that's not the case?"_ Ben thought.

The hippo broke through the wall before them and came lunging toward the trio, who were forced to turn tail and run from it again as it bit out a huge chunk of the floor and resumed the chase.

"So, you're just fine with getting your body eaten like that?" questioned Luffy.

"Oh, you'll see!" Buggy said with a grin. "After all, I am a Chop-Chop man!"

Inside the hippo's mouth, it was revealed that Buggy's hands seemed to be searching for something. That something happened to be the hippo's…uvula.

Buggy's hands grabbed the hippo's uvula, causing it to gag and trip. As it was rolling forward, Luffy, Ben, and Buggy jumped out of its way before **CRASH!** It went crashing into another wall, this time going into unconsciousness and freeing Buggy's body, which reassembled.

"How'd you do that?" Luffy asked.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Buggy cackled. "Even if my body ends up getting chopped into bits, I can move them any way I please! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That'll teach ya, you dumb flashy hippo!"

Little did our heroes know, that they were being watched, for up on the wall, a Surveillance Transponder Snail had seen the whole event that had transpired.

* * *

In the monitoring room, the staff were watching Buggy through one of the surveillance screens. They could see Buggy, but they couldn't make out the two figures that were with him.

However, they did seem to recognize them.

"Those two with Buggy," said one of the staff. "Who are they?"

* * *

A moment later, the trio continued running through the corridors of Level 2.

 _Isn't there any other way I can just get out of here and ditch these fools?_ Buggy thought. Suddenly, Buggy heard the sound of buzzing, and it sounded like it was coming from up above. The clown pirate stopped to look up, but saw nothing.

"What's wrong, Buggy?" Luffy asked as he and Ben braked to a stop.

"I thought I heard something," Buggy said, "then again…maybe not."

"Maybe it was a bat," Luffy said as he looked around. Then without warning, something suddenly chopped Buggy up into parts.

"DAAAAAAAAAHH!" Buggy cried. "CHOP-CHOP QUICK ESCAPE!"

Buggy and his chopped-up body flew away and reassembled behind Luffy and Ben, who turned and saw that his attacker was a giant praying mantis the size of a full-grown man, dressed like one of the staff with scythes for hands!

"A Monster Mantis!" exclaimed Buggy.

"You're right," Luffy said. "It's way too big to be a regular mantis! I remember seeing one like this before!"

The Monster Mantis struck again, unable to cut Luffy or Ben, who had transformed into Crashhopper using his long and muscular legs to jump out of its way in the nick of time, but was able to chop up Buggy once more.

"Wow!" said Luffy. "This bug cuts almost as good as Zoro!"

 _"Compared to the aliens I've sent to the Null Void over the years, this is a cakewalk,"_ Ben thought, not as impressed.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO IMPRESSED?" Buggy questioned. "If I keep getting myself cut up like this, I'll be in big trouble!"

The trio landed behind the Monster Mantis. "You sure are a hell of a fighter!" Luffy complimented. "You should meet my friend Zoro, some time!"

"Honestly," Buggy sighed in disbelief, "how can you be so relaxed?"

The Monster Mantis began to swing its scythes, all around, the resulting slashes able to cut up the brick walls. Luffy, Crashhopper, and Buggy then clapped their hands, but then,The mantis' blades were thrown into the floor…and they appeared to be stuck.

"Uh," Luffy muttered as he watched the Monster Mantis struggle to free his blades. "Looks like it's stuck."

"Yeah," Buggy agreed.

"Gee, what was your first clue?" Ben said sarcastically.

"Well, now what?" Luffy asked.

"Hmm," Buggy thought. "Maybe we should just leave it there."

"Okay," said Luffy.

"Sounds good to me," Ben agreed.

With that, the trio walked by the Monster Mantis, which still tried to free its scythes from the floor.

"Are you sure these are supposed to beasts of Hell?" questioned Luffy in doubt. "They're not THAT big a deal, if you ask me."

"So far, this entire place has been nothing but a joke _,"_ said Ben.

"Level 1 was a lot more terrifying than this place!" Buggy added. "Then again, if you think about, beasts of Hell can only be found in-"

 **"BRUCKAAAAAAAAAWW!"** A huge roaring sound was heard, and it was so huge, that it created a wind that was strong to blow the Monster Mantis away!

As the wind died down, Luffy, Ben, and Buggy soon stood.

"What the hell was that?" Luffy asked.

Buggy looked up, but then he gasped and froze in place.

"What's the matter?" Luffy asked before he and Ben looked up to see what Buggy was seeing, and what they saw was a humungous bird-like creature. It looked like a giant rooster…with a reptilian face, rows of sharp teeth, and a forked tongue like a serpent.

 **"BRUCKAAAAAAAAWW~!"** The beast roared, again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Luffy and Buggy screamed. "A MONSTER~!"

"THAT THING IS HUGE~!" Ben exclaimed.

Up on the wall, the trio didn't notice that they were being watched by another Surveillance Transponder Snail.

* * *

Up in the monitoring room, the staff were getting a second look at the pirates on screen.

"Huh!" one gasped. "That boy! He's…!"

* * *

"RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

Ben, Luffy, and Buggy ran as fast as their legs could carry them, trying to get away from the huge, snake-like chicken beast.

"Damn it all!" Buggy cursed. "The rumors were true, all along! We're gonna get ourselves eaten alive, this time! That's why I was trying to get out of his hellhole without you, because I didn't want to be dragged down here to Level 2 with you two!"

"Huh?" Luffy asked. "What'd you say, Buggy? What the hell is that thing?"

"It's the most rare kind of hybrid monster!" Buggy answered. "A snake born from the egg of a chicken- the Basilisk!"

Indeed it was. The Basilisk, a mutant beast born from the crossbreeding of a snake with a chicken. It guards the corridors of Level 2, but it is only the second-feared beast in this whole prison. On Level 2, there was an even more fierce creature.

 _"Basilisk?"_ Ben repeated in thought. _"And I thought aliens were bad enough_ _!"_

"So, wait!" Luffy said. "That thing's mom is a chicken?"

"Yes!" Buggy answered. "But that chick is a MONSTER!"

 _"This is one messed-up world I got sent to!"_ thought Ben as he turned into Spidermonkey.

The Basilisk continued to give chase, pushing itself through the corridors and biting at the trio. While Luffy and Spidermonkey dodged every chomp, Buggy just split himself apart to keep from getting eaten. As they turned a corner, Luffy skid to a stop and turned to face the beastly bird.

"That's it!" Luffy said. "I don't have time to deal with this chicken-snake thing!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Buggy questioned. "You'll get your ass kicked!" He then turned and grinned to himself. "But then again, I could use this as a chance to escape!"

"You're kidding, right?" Ben said.

"Well, so long, Straw Hat!" Buggy said. "You and your friend can take it from here!"

With that, Buggy soon turned to leave Luffy and Spidermonkey to face the Basilisk alone.

But then…

"Gear…THIRD!"

"ULTIMATE SPIDERMONKEY!"

Buggy turned upon hearing that cry, and saw Luffy with an enlarged fist and Spidermonkey having transformed into a gorilla with four spider legs on its back.

"WHAT THE…?"

* * *

In a guard room in Level 2, one of the staff had been contacted via Mini Transponder Snail.

 _"Jailers on Level 2! We've identified the boy that is with Buggy the Clown! It's 'Straw Hat' Luffy! Also, there's some other unknown man with them with the ability to transform into different monsters!"_

"What?"

"You mean…THAT 'Straw Hat' Luffy?"

"And a pirate with a Zoan ability we haven't seen before too?"

"In Impel Down? But why?"

 _"It doesn't matter why! Capture those pirates at all costs! Dead or alive!"_

"Right! Let's go, men!"

With that, the staff prepared to head out and capture, Luffy, Ben, and Buggy, when all of a sudden…

"Gum-Gum…GIANT PISTOL!"

 **KRASH!** The Basilisk now covered in a web cocoon came crashing through the guard room, knocking out most, if not all the guards in the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Hancock, Salome, Momonga, Hannyabal, and Domino, they were still in the elevator, escorting the Warlord to the warden, Magellan. As their decent began to slow down, Hancock began to notice that the temperature was rising.

"It's getting quite hot," said Hancock.

"Yes," said Domino. "As Vice Admiral Hannyabal had said before, the Warden's office is on Level 4, the Inferno Hell. As its name implies, everything there except his office is like real inferno." The elevator soon stopped. "We've arrived," said Domino. With that, the group exited from the elevator.

"So where's the Warden?" Momonga asked.

"Warden Magellan has terrible issues with his digestive system," Domino explained, "So most of the time, he stays in a restroom for 10 hours, daily. Not just that, but he needs 8 hours of sleep, and then he has mealtimes and breaks, therefore he only works four hours a day."

"Is it enough for a warden such as him?" Hancock questioned.

"He can be productive when need-be," Domino said.

 **FLOOSH!**

"Oh!" Domino said. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Here he comes now. One more thing, though. I forgot to tell you that Warden Magellan has eaten a Devil Fruit: the Venom-Venom. Everything about him makes him poisonous."

"Poisonous?" Hancock repeated.

"Yes," Domino answered. "Please, be careful when you're around him."

Hancock turned and saw some of the staff present her, Salome, Domino, and Momonga some gas masks.

The door to the restroom suddenly opened, and a large, shadowy figure came staggering out.

"Good work, chief!"

"Well done, sir!"

"Ah…once again, it was another tough battle."

The man that came out of the restroom was incredibly large in stature, about three times the height of a normal human being. He had a face that resembled a mandrill, with sharp teeth and a thick beard. His fingers closely resembled those of the Blugori. Upon his back were bat-like wings, like Hannyabal's, and horn-like head ornaments. He wore a black suit with a red shirt underneath. The suit featured more buttons than those of the staff. Draped over his right shoulder was a piece of rope, and upon his crown was a standard cap of the Impel Down workers. He is the warden of Impel Down, Magellan.

"Oh," said Magellan. "We have guests. Welcome to Impel Down. I am Warden Magellan." He suddenly flinched, shielding his eyes. "Ah! It's so bright! Why is that? I want to be sealed away in a dark room, and, if possible, I'd like my heart to be sealed, too!"

"Stop being ridiculous!" said Hannyabal. "Warden Magellan, Marine Vice-Admiral Momonga and Warlord Boa Hancock are here to see you!"

"We're in a bit of a hurry, Warden Magellan," said Momonga.

"My apologies," Magellan said. "You see, I've got me a pretty bad case of the runs. The poison soup I had for breakfast this morning seems to be disagreeing with me-"

"Well, what'd you expect?" Hannyabal questioned. "It's poison!"

"I'm a poison man, after all," said Magellan. "Therefore, I love poisons! You know what they say: 'Fight poison with poison'!"

"It's just an expression!" Hannyabal corrected. "You shouldn't take it literally! No wonder you have diarrhea!"

"You have a rather _venomous_ tongue on you, Hannyabal," Magellan said.

"Oh, hurry up and retire so that I can become Warden, already," said Hannyabal. "Whoop! Slip of the tongue! Sorry! What I meant to say was. 'Take these two to 'Fire Fist' Ace and-"

"That was a terrible mistake you made, Hannyabal!" Magellan exclaimed. "I can't believe I have such a heartless colleague such as you!" He heaved a sigh, but as he did, he unwittingly let out a purple mist from his mouth.

"Gas masks," said Domino.

Hancock, Salome, Domino, and Momonga put on their gas masks to filter out the poisonous mist, but Hannyabal was most unfortunate to accidentally breathe it in, "GAH!" Hannyabal gasped. "Be careful when you breathe! Your breath is poisonous!"

Magellan just let out a hissing laugh.

"Oh, of course!" Hannyabal said. "It's always funny to you!"

"Serves you right," Magellan started, "stupid Vice Warden."

"Even his WORDS are venomous!" Hannyabal exclaimed, angrily.

He wasn't the only one who was angry as Magellan was soon kicked down to the floor and was pinned by Hancock, who gave him her "Extreme-Looking-Down" Pose.

"How DARE you expose me to your toxins?" she barked. "Just WHO do you think you are?"

"Oh!" Magellan gasped. "What a lovely woman! I'm in love!"

"Oh, he's SO lucky…" Hannyabal grumbled as he sit at a golden desk and in a chair that was too big for him.

"Vice Warden," Domino said. "That's the Warden's seat."

"It'll be mine in time," Hannyabal remarked.

"Can we please hurry this along?" questioned an irritable Momonga.

 **"BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP!"** The Transponder Snail (which was also wearing a little mask) began to ring, and Hannyabal picked it up, "This is the Warden's office," he said.

"What do you think you're doing answering my calls?" Magellan questioned before he breathed out poisonous gas, again.

"DAH!" Hannyabal gasped. "Not again! Damn it all!" He fell forward on the desk. "I wanted…to be…the warden…!"

"Give Vice Warden an antidote!" Domino ordered one of the staff.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"What's that?" Magellan asked to the person on the other line. "Two people just broke into Impel Down?"

"That's impossible!" Domino exclaimed as she administered the antidote into Hannyabal. "No one has ever been fool enough to break INTO the prison in all its history!"

"This is a grave error!" Hannyabal declared. "And it's your fault, Warden!"

 _"Oh, no!"_ Hancock thought. " _Were they discovered?"_

"Transfer their images to me, right away!" Magellan demanded.

"Oh, Warden," said Hancock in a cute, feminine voice, putting on the most innocent face. "Could you please take us to see the prisoner, now?"

"Of course~!" Magellan replied with hearts in his eyes. "I'll take you down there, right away!"

"W-wait, Warden!" Hannyabal called. "Don't you realize how serious the situation that we're in is?"

* * *

In the monitoring room, there was an alarm going off, and the staff was in uproar.

"What's going on? We've lost contact with Warden Magellan!"

"Hurry and report this to the guard room of each floor and to Marine HQ! I don't what they're doing or what they're up to, but one of the two men that Buggy the Clown is with on Level 2 is definitely the pirate, 'Straw Hat' Luffy!"

"What's going on in the guard room on Level 2? We can't reach them!"

"WHAT? What the hell's going on?"

* * *

In the guard room on Level 2...or rather, what's left of it, unconscious guards lay scattered around the floor, as well as the defeated Basilisk.

Buggy stared in disbelief at what he had just witnessed, while a shrunken Luffy and an evolved Arachnichimp smiled triumphantly.

"I did it!" said Luffy.

"What the hell just happened?" Buggy questioned. "Your fist grew huge…and why did you shrink? Also, how did your friend turn from a four armed monkey into some spider-gorilla?"

"It's just one of my Ultimate Forms," Ben explained as he turned back to normal.

"That's my Gear Third technique," Luffy answered. "I actually manage to beat this snake-chicken thing!"

He then grew back to his regular size, "Oh! I'm back to normal!" Luffy said. "Okay, Buggy, now take us to Level 3!"

"Saviors have been sent to us from Heaven!"

"They defeated the Basilisk!"

The trio turned to face the prisoners that were locked in their cells.

"You did it!"

"You guys were incredible!"

"And you completely devastated the guard room!"

"I don't know who you guys are, but thank you so much!"

"Now, hurry! Get the keys to our cells and shackles!"

"There! On the floor!"

Buggy and Luffy turned to see a key ring with six keys.

"We don't have time for this!" Ben said. "We're in a hurry!"

Inside one of the cells, Mr. 3 spotted Luffy through the bars.

 _Ha!_ he gasped in thought. _It's him! It's 'Straw Hat' Luffy! But what is he doing here? If he's outside…then he must be trying to escape!_ He smiled. _Yes! This is my chance! Maybe I can get him to help me get out of here! I have not been forsaken, yet!_

* * *

Buggy, using his Chop-Chop Fruit powers, unlocked the cells, releasing the prisoners.

"Yes! We're free!"

"Freedom, at last!"

"WHOOPEE!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Buggy cackled. "You lot had better be grateful!"

"Yes, we are!"

"Thank you so much, Captain Buggy!"

"We'll never forget this, Captain Buggy!"

"You saved us, Captain Buggy!"

"That's right!" Buggy exclaimed. "Remember the name of your savior! Now go, and unlock the other cells! Free your fellow comrades! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

 _"I fell down here by accident,"_ Buggy thought, " _but if I let these prisoners out and have them cause a huge riot, then maybe I'll be able to slip out in all the confusion!"_

Buggy's plan seemed to short-lived unfortunately, for Luffy grabbed and dragged him along and ran alongside Ben.

"You're wasting our time!" Luffy said. "Now hurry up and take me us to Ace! Is there another hole around that leads to downstairs?"

"Let me go!" Buggy barked. "How the hell should I know the way to Level 3? This whole place is like a flashy maze!"

 **"GRAAAAAARRR!"** A loud, powerful roar sounded off, so loud that it frightened the prisoners into running back into their cells.

"But you said you'd take us down to Level 4!" Luffy argued, ignoring the roar.

"I lied!" Buggy retorted. "I only wanted the treasure marker on your arm, so I lied to you to get it!"

"You lied?" Luffy growled.

"Well Luffy, what'd you expect?" Ben said, "He was your enemy long before I met you, right?"

"Anyway, what does it matter to you?" Buggy asked. "All these loose prisoners are about to riot and…" he noticed that the prisoners had ran back into their cells. "Huh? Hey! What's going on here? This was supposed to be your chance to escape and cause a big ruckus, right?"

"We suddenly got a cold splash of reality!" said one of the prisoners. "We changed our minds! There's no way we can leave this place as long as THOSE guys, as well as the boss of this floor is still lurking about!"

"Yeah! We're a lot safer in here!"

"Yeah!"

"That's right!"

Buggy sweat-dropped nervously before turning to Luffy, "Uh, change of plans, Straw Hat and your name was Ben right?" he said. "I'll go ahead and take you both to Level 3!"

"YOU SAID THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW, BIG NOSE!" Luffy barked.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING 'BIG NOSE'?" spat Buggy.

"Oh, brother…" Ben said as he rubbed his temple.

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance!"

The three turned to see Mr. 3 approached them.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

"Who're you?" Buggy questioned.

Mr. 3 put his hands together and then separated them to form a bridge of wax between them.

"Long time, no see," he began, "eh, 'Straw Hat' Luffy? Ironic as it may seem, I'm free now, thanks to you, and I am a man who repays his debts!"

"Uh…who are you again?" Luffy asked.

"Ahem!" Mr. 3 cleared his throat and pointed to his hairstyle.

"Oh, wait!" said Luffy. "You're that waxy guy from the island of giants! You're Three!"

"It's MR. 3!" Mr. 3 corrected.

However, while the trio were talking, Ben thought he heard something up on the rafters. Looking up, he gasped when he saw a large group of shadowy figures appear.

 _"Aw, man…"_ he thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the same level where Ace is being held prisoner, that same hulking figure from earlier had just entered Ace's cell. However, it appeared that Ace was going to have some company.

Another mysterious figure had been chained to the wall of his cell, and that strange creature that was armed with a mace had put him there.

"I'm not…" said a grisly voice. "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

The hulking beast then threw its mace down on the figure's head before it left the cell.

"Ah…I can't move. I can't even lift a finger."

"Looks like they've given you another good beating," Ace said, "eh, boss?"

"Don't be silly, Ace," said the figure. "These wounds are nothing! It's my heart that really hurts, because I'm not able to do what's right!"

It was revealed that Ace's company was a Fishman. A whale shark Fishman, to be more precise, with a face that was similar to that of a Japanese demon, like the Oni. His yellow eyebrows and sideburns are distinctly shaped like those found on such creatures, in addition to his bulb-like and an angular lower lip that pointed upwards. He has a lightning-bolt shaped scar that went from his left sideburn to over his left eye. He also possessed two tusk-like, conical lower fangs that protruded from his lower lip, another common feature of the Oni. The rest of his teeth were pretty much the same, albeit smaller. He also has a sever under bite, which makes room for his large fangs.

He had dual-toned, black hair with two gold stripes, coming from the roots over his forehead and trailing down the back, a topknot, and a beard.

Under his pale red coat, he wore a coral-colored traditional Japanese robe known as a jinbei with a black-and-white square pattern on it, and around his waist was a purple sash.

This is "Sea Knight" Jimbei, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, (or rather, an ex-Warlord), a whale shark Fishman, his former bounty being 250 million Berries.

"Jimbei," Ace muttered.

"I can't die," said Jimbei. "At least not yet, Ace! I don't care if I used to be one of the Seven Warlords! That title means nothing to me!" He hung his head. "But I'd gladly give up all I had, even my life…to stop this war!"

In a monitoring room, the guards were trying to find the escaped prisoner, Buggy, as well as Ben and Luffy. Three of them were too busy playing a game of poker to care.

"To be honest," said one of them sitting at the table as he held his cards in his hands, "when I was assigned to this floor, I thought I was a dead man for sure, but it's surprisingly pretty peaceful here."

"It wouldn't be another way," said the other guard. "I mean, what kind of floor did you think it would be?"

The guard facing one of the screens turned to them and said, "This floor contains the world's worst villains with bounties of over 100 million Berries, or other infamous criminals, which is why security is so tight here. That's why here, in Impel Down, they call it Eternal Hell, because it's the worst floor for prisoners to be held on." He then smirked. "But still, the only chance they'll ever have for them to leave this place and feel the sunlight again is on the day of their execution."

"Death might be the easier than spending another second in this God-forsaken place," said the thick-lipped guard as he picked up another card.

"Yeah, you might be right there, pal."

They all laughed.

Just then, another guard entered.

"Hey," he said. "The Warden and Vice-Warden are on their way here with 'Pirate Empress' Boa Hancock."

"Boa Hancock?" repeated one of the guards. "Why would the Pirate Empress wanna see 'Fire Fist' Ace?"

"Yeah, he's the most dangerous prisoner in Impel Down," said the thick-lipped guard. "Well, maybe the entire world, now!" He picked up another card. "I sure as hell don't want any trouble" He gasped when he realized the card he picked up was the Joker.

"Speaking of dangerous men," said the guard facing the screen, "I heard there's another prisoner who was a Warlord, like Hancock, who went against Marine HQ, and he's a pretty dangerous man, himself. What's his name, again?"

"I'm pretty sure it was 'Jombay', or something."

"No, no, it's 'Jimbei'!"

"Oh, yeah! 'Sea Knight' Jimbei!"

* * *

Drops of blood fell from Jimbei's face as he sat against the wall beside Ace.

"To the World Government," he started, "I am a pirate who hates pirates…but you, Ace…you and your people were different."

"A pirate hater?" Ace questioned. "You?"

"It seems strange that I met you, Ace," said Jimbei. "I had paid Whitebeard visits on his ship too many times to count, but because of my position, I had to be discreet, and do everything underwater. I really liked you people."

"Heh," Ace chuckled, half-heartedly. "Last I remember, you almost killed me, once.

"And you almost killed me, Ace," Jimbei said. "All I wanted to do was help Whitebeard. The only reason that Fishman Island is at peace, right now, is because of that man. All pirates that sail the Grand Line must eventually pass Fishman Island. When the Great Pirate Era began, the island became like a war-zone! It had been overwhelmed with hordes of human pirates and the Marine forces that had been pursuing them! A great many of us Fishmen and Merfolk had been captured and sold off. Everyone was in great turmoil! But then…he, Whitebeard, came!"

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _"This island," the mighty Whitebeard roared, "IS MY TURF, NOW!"_

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"I will never forget that fateful day," Jimbei said. "With those words, he ended the chaos on Fishman Island, forever! Now THAT, Ace, is power! Of course, you know that he protects many islands, as well. He may be a pirate captain, but it's wrong to try and take him out! The World Government must know what will happen if Whitebeard dies!"

He banged the back of his head against the wall behind him. "I wanted to stop this war, even if it killed me!" he exclaimed. "I also wanted to try and save you, Ace…"

"Just stop it, Jimbei," Ace said. "You're only making me feel worse."

"I have yet to give up hope, boy," Jimbei said. "I've always believed in things like…miracles and luck."

Ace just sat in silence.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh," a mysterious voice chuckled, evilly. "Looks like something interesting is happening in this this prison. Ha-ha-ha…! This could be big chance to finally take Whitebeard's head! How thrilling."

"Damn you," Jimbei growled.

"You wanna kill Pops?" Ace questioned.

"Oh, not just me, boy…"

All around, the cries of the other insane prisoners could be heard.

"MYAHAHAHA!"

"Kill the old fool!"

"Great! The old man's finally gonna kick the bucket!"

"Good riddance!"

"Lemme outta here! I'll kill him, myself!"

"I don't have any problem with that!"

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"The reign of Whitebeard ends with me!"

"SILENCE, YOU COWARDS!" Jimbei barked out.

"Remember this, Jimbei," said the mysterious figure. "And you, too, Fire Fist. There are plenty of second-rate pirates in this world who hate that they have no chance of defeating the likes of Whitebeard and Gold Roger. Why…they're everywhere. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You are one sick, twisted son of a bitch," Ace seethed.

"Maybe I am."

* * *

Back in the monitoring room, the staff saw just why the jailers on Level 2 had not yet responded.

They saw the destroyed room with the defeated Basilisk inside.

"The Basilisk demolished the place!"

"No wonder they didn't respond."

"So those three defeated the Basilisk? Where are they now? Just what the hell is happening on Level 2?"

* * *

Somewhere on Level 2, four familiar figures were seen running away, and they had been spotted by the Surveillance Transponder Snail.

* * *

"There they are!" said one of the guards in monitoring room.

"It's them!" said another.

"But wait…there's four of them, now!"

"What?"

* * *

Back on Level 2, it is revealed that XLR8, Luffy, Buggy, and Mr. 3 were being chased by a pack of lion-like creatures with human faces, a giant centipede, the Monster Mantis, and the little hippo from before.

"It seems the beasts of Level 2 are after us!" exclaimed Mr. 3.

"Tell us something we don't know pal!" said XLR8.

"We can't keep running from these freaks forever!" Luffy said.

"He's right!" Buggy said. "For once. The moment we stop running, we'll be on the menu! And while we're running our asses off, the jailers from other floors of this place are preparing to catch us, too!"

"I'm getting tired, already!" stated Mr. 3.

Luffy then braked to a halt to face the beasts as XLR8 switched to Echo Echo who duplicated into 3 copies.

"Dammit," he cursed. "I don't have time for this! Gum-Gum…"

"Chop-Chop…" Buggy started as he held up his axe.

"Candle…" Mr. 3 started.

"Wall of…" The Echo Echos started.

"PISTOL!'

"CANNON!"

"LOCK!"

"SOUND!"

 **POW!** Luffy's fist hit the giant centipede, which exploded and split into sections…and kept running!

 **SLASH!** Buggy's axe blew away three lion creatures.

 **KRINK!** Mr. 3's wax hardened on the forelegs of four other lions.

 **SKREEEEE!** The Echo Echos' combined sonic screams attack hit the hippo and the Monster Mantis.

"That giant centipede just exploded!" Luffy exclaimed as he continued to run.

"That centipede was just a bunch of Puzzle Scorpions joined together!" Mr. 3 explained. "there is extremely poisonous!"

Just then, more lion beasts showed up.

"AH!" Mr. 3 screamed. "MORE OF THEM!"

The quartet ran this way and that way, here and there, almost everywhere, until finally, they seemed to have lost their pursuers.

The beasts had to stop to try and find which their prey had gone. The sound of footsteps was heard, gaining the beasts' attention. It sounded like it was coming from their right, so they ran down the hallway to the right.

However, Luffy, Echo Echo, Buggy, and Mr. 3 soon came out of hiding behind them.

"I can't believe that worked," said Luffy.

"Well, what did I tell you?" Buggy said. "They're brainless animals! All I had to get them off our tail was to fool them with my footsteps trick!"

Further down the hall, it was revealed that Buggy's severed feet were making the footsteps to fool the monsters into believing that they had gone down through there.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Buggy laughed. "The fools!" Suddenly, Buggy soon found his feet thrown back at him, right into his nose.

"Ouch!" he said.

"Uh…guys?" Echo Echo said in a high-pitched and tinny voice.

"What?" asked Buggy and Mr. 3.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

The quartet was running away, once again, from the beasts, which were more enraged than before.

"Dammit all!" Buggy cursed. "Hey, by the way! I heard that the boss of Level 2 is some kind of lion! Are those things chasing us the ones?"

"No, but you're close!" answered Mr. 3 answered. "Those are man-eating lions with the faces of men! They're called Manticores! Let them catch you, and they'll eat you until only your bones are left!"

"Are you serious?" Buggy cried.

"The key!"

"Gimme the key!"

"Huh?" muttered Buggy.

"Were those things talking just now?" Ben questioned.

"Just ignore them!" Mr. 3 exclaimed. "They have human vocal cords, so they can imitate our speech!"

"Help me!" cried one Manticore.

"The agony!" cried another.

 _"They're in pain?"_ Ben thought. " _Wait, what the heck am I saying? Of course they're not!"_

"They're just saying words they've heard the prisoners say!" said Mr. 3. "They didn't even know what they mean!"

"That's real creepy!" said Luffy.

"Tell me about it!" said Ben.

"Loincloth! Loincloth!" chanted another Manticore.

"Strawberry panties!" exclaimed another.

"They've basically learned a lot of nonsense!" Buggy shouted.

"Beef steak!" said another Manticore.

"Beef steak?" Luffy repeated, mouth watering. "Where?"

"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!" Buggy snapped, smacking him over the head. "JUST RUN!"

"Smoothies!" said another Manticore.

"Where?" said Ben. "Wait a minute…oh, great! Now Luffy's got me doing it!"

"Hey, you!" Luffy said to Mr. 3. "Didn't you say that you'd help us?"

"Oh, yes!" Mr. 3 replied. "Of course! Let's combine our forces and escape together!"

"Actually," Luffy began, "we really need to get down to Level 3!"

"What?" Mr. 3 questioned. "You mean you're not trying to escape? I thought you were heading to Level 1!"

"Wrong!" Buggy said as he ran backwards to face Mr. 3. "Straw Hat and Ben broke in here so that they could help Straw Hat's brother, Ace, escape!"

"Ace, you say?" Mr. 3 repeated. "As in 'Fire Fist' Ace? I didn't know he was Straw Hat's brother! He and that shapeshifter are here to free him?"

"Yeah, we are!" Luffy answered. "And we don't have time, either!"

 _"If Ace is here,"_ Mr. 3 thought, " _then he's more than likely being held up in Level 5! Those two fools want to go there?"_

"NO!" Mr. 3 shouted. "I DON'T WANT TO GO~! YOU'RE CRAZY!"

He prepared to go up a flight of stares, but Luffy grabbed him before he could get away.

"Hang on!" Luffy cried. "At least tell how to get to the stairs that go down!"

 _"The stairs that go down?"_ Mr. 3 thought. " _Yes! Of course! That staircase goes from Level 1 to Level 3! I can use Straw Hat and his friend as bait to lure the monster guarding the stairs away so that I can get out!"_

He then turned to Luffy and said, "Come, Straw Hat! I'll help you!"

"NOW YOU WANNA HELP HIM?" Buggy questioned.

"Dude, first you're trying running away, and now you wanna help?" Ben questioned. "Make up your mind already!"

With that, the four ran down a flight of stairs.

"Hurry, Straw Hat!" Mr. 3 said. "Follow me! This way- OOF!"

He suddenly bumped into…something.

Luffy, Ben, and Buggy looked up and saw a humungous creature. It was a dark grey…with a long tail that had a brush of lighter gray hair on it, and surrounding its forelegs and shoulders were light-pinkish feathers, and around its man-like face was a long, light gray mane.

"What the heck?" Ben questioned.

"Well…" Buggy whimpered. "Would you look at that?"

"A lion?" Luffy repeated. "No, wait. An old man?"

Mr. 3 was too frightened to even speak or think. However, he quickly found his voice.

"It's him…" Mr. 3 gasped. "The guardian of the stairs and the boss of this entire Level, the Sphinx!"

At that moment, the Sphinx turned to look at the quartet, just when the Manticores and Puzzle Scorpions arrived. However, the moment they saw the Sphinx look down at them, they immediately became fearful, and fled.

"Omelet rice!"

"Steak!"

"Peanut butter!"

"Strawberry panties!"

"Underwear!"

The Sphinx then closed his eyes, and the four before him stood in anticipation, wondering what he was about to do next.

After what felt like an hour of silence…the Sphinx spoke.

"Somen…" he said.

"Somen?" Ben, Luffy, Buggy, and Mr. 3 repeated.

 **"GRAAAAR!"** The Sphinx roared as he raised his paw.

"Ramen!" he exclaimed as he slammed his paw down at the quartet, forcing them to turn and run.

"Tanmen!" The Sphinx slammed his paw at Luffy and Ben, who got out of his way just in time.

"The only words he's ever heard are words for noodles!" Buggy and Mr. 3 cried.

"Barbecue pork noodles!" The Sphinx slammed his paws down at the Mr. 3 and Buggy.

"Spicy Szechuan noodles!" He then threw his paws at Luffy and Ben, again, but they dodged his strike, once more. Transforming into Kickin Hawk, he jumped and slashed at the Sphinx's nose with his scythe-like blades, knocking it back.

"Macaroni!"

 _"_ What?" Kickin Hawk said in disbelief. "Oh, come on! Macaroni isn't even a real noodle! It's a pasta- WHOA!"

The Sphinx slammed his paw at Kickin Hawk, who with his enhanced reflexes jumped in the nick of time. Shifting to Diamondhead, he shot up a crystal pillar that hit the Sphinx right in its' abdomen.

"BEN, LOOK OUT!"

"Al dente!"

Diamondhead looked up and saw that the Sphinx was about to throw his paw down on him, but just as it looked like the Petrosapien was crushed by the massive beast's appendage, the Sphinx suddenly recoiled in pain as he lifted his paw to show a still intact Diamondhead with numerous spikes jutting out his body.

"Wow! So cool Ben!" exclaimed Luffy.

"KEEP MOVING, STRAW HAT!" Buggy shouted.

Luffy looked up, only to jump away when the Sphinx threw his paw at him and Diamondhead again.

"Amen!" he shouted.

"It's praying?" Buggy questioned as the Sphinx threw his paw at the quartet, once again.

"This is bad!" Luffy cried. "Real, real bad!"

* * *

Down below, in a prison cell, the prisoners could hear the noises of the Sphinx's thrashing.

"You hear that?"

"Yeah! The Sphinx is going nuts, up there!"

"I knew it! We're doomed! Whatever made us think we could ever leave this place?"

* * *

"Ground pork noodles! Hot-pot noodles! Canton noodles!"

Luffy's stomach started to roar. "All this talk about noodles is making my stomach grumble," he said. "I really wanna eat some of Sanji's cooking, now. I haven't had it in a while!"

"You choose NOW to think about your stomach?" questioned Diamondhead. "Look around! We're in trouble here!"

"Wonton noodles!" the Sphinx roared. Luffy's stomach growled, again. Apparently, it was loud enough to drown out the Sphinx's voice. "WONTON NOODLES!" the Sphinx roared, once more.

It was at that moment that Luffy finally snapped to attention and jumped away to avoid another strike from the Sphinx's huge paws. "Damn, he's strong!" said Luffy.

"You got that right," said Diamondhead as he shot more crystal shards at the beast. The Petrosapien then turned to see Buggy and Mr. 3, huddled up in a corner.

 _"What are those bozos up to now?"_ the shapeshifter asked in thought.

"You know," Buggy whispered, "I don't really want to go down to the lower levels."

"I'm behind you all the way!" Mr. 3 whispered as the two pirates put their hands together in a handshake.

"All right, then," said Buggy. "It's a deal! We'll form an alliance and break outta this hellhole!"

"Partnership is grand," Mr. 3 said.

"Time for Operation: 'Straw Hat and Freak are Dinner'!" Buggy said.

"Excellent," Mr. 3 said.

 _"You've GOT to be kidding,"_ Diamondhead thought in disbelief. " _I knew they were up to something and what kind of name is that?"_

"Hey!" Luffy called as he turned to Buggy and Mr. 3. "What are you two doing over there in the corner?"

 _"Uh-oh!"_ Buggy and Mr. 3 thought.

"Miso ramen!" The Sphinx threw his paw down at Luffy and Diamondhead, who jumped away at the last second. Luffy then leaped up, over the Sphinx's head.

"Gum-Gum…BAZOOKA!" Luffy's palms hit the Sphinx, right on top of his crown.

 _ **"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"**_ The Sphinx roared.

"ALL YOU DID WAS PISS HIM OFF, MORE!" Buggy and Mr. 3 cried.

"For crying out loud, Luffy!" said Diamondhead.

"I'M OUTTA HERE!" Buggy shouted as he flew off to the safety of a nearby wall.

"Wait, traitor!" Mr. 3 called. "How dare you leave me here alone?"

The Sphinx then spotted the former Baroque Works agent below.

 _ **"GRRAAAAAAAAAR!"**_ He roared.

"No! WAIT!" Mr. 3 cried. The Sphinx slammed his paw down on Mr. 3...who crumbled?

"Ha-ha-ha! You fell for it, you simple-minded beast!"

The Sphinx turned and saw the real Mr. 3 standing behind him.

"Boiled noodles," he said.

"That was a wax doll I created with my Wax-Wax powers!" Mr. 3 declared. "It's not as effective without Ms. Golden Week's painting, but it's more than enough to fool a dumb animal like you!"

Mr. 3 made more wax dolls of himself. Granted, they didn't have the same coloring, but it was enough to fool the Sphinx.

"Over here!" called one.

"No, here!" called another.

"Here I am!" called one more.

The Sphinx kept smashing wax dolls, but there were so many, he didn't know which one was the real Mr. 3.

"Wow! That looks like fun!" Luffy commented. "It's like Whack-A-Mole!" He laughed and started pointing at random dolls for the Sphinx to hit. "Get that one!"

 **SMASH!**

"Now that one!"

 **SMASH!**

"Now that one over there!"

 **SMASH!**

Diamondhead couldn't help but deadpan at this as time was of the essence right now.

"He's enjoying himself more than I thought," Mr. 3 said as he hid behind a nearby support beam. "Now's my chance!"

With that, he turned and ran while Luffy and the Sphinx continued their little game.

* * *

Down below, the prisoners could hear the sound of the Sphinx's paws slamming the floor.

"What's with all this shaking?"

"The Sphinx is going crazy!"

* * *

Back up above, the room suddenly started to shake, too.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

"I don't think I like the sound of that," said Diamondhead worryingly.

At the gate that was supposed to lead to the stairs, Mr. 3 and Buggy had made it.

"We did it, Mr. 3!" Buggy cheered. "Our plan worked!"

"You traitor!" Mr. 3 snapped. "That wasn't our plan! But even so, we're free!"

"There's the gate, right there!" said Buggy.

"Now, I just need to make a key out of wax," Mr. 3 started, "and we're-"

The whole floor suddenly collapsed beneath their feet.

 _"Hey! This is Level 3 there's a loud noise coming from up above! Level 2 won't respond!"_

It was revealed that because of the Sphinx slamming the floor so much, he caused it to crumble apart and for himself to fall through it, taking Luffy, Diamondhead, Buggy, and Mr. 3 with him!

"WAAAAAH!" Luffy screamed. "YOU DUMB LION! YOU BROKE THE FLOOR!"

"NOT GOOD!" cried Mr. 3.

"WE'RE GOING TO LEVEL 3~!" Buggy yelled.

On Level 2, some of the guards had surrounded the hole that the Sphinx, as well as Luffy, Diamondhead, Buggy, and Mr. 3 had fallen through.

"Monitoring room, come in," said one of the guards, speaking into a Mini Transponder Snail. "We're at the site on Level 2! Can you bring up the image?"

"What happened here?" asked another guard. "This hole is so huge, the Sphinx could've fallen through it!"

"What are Straw Hat and his ally trying to do?" questioned a third guard.

Unbeknownst to the guards, a large group of shadowy figures were skulking towards them.

* * *

In the monitoring room, the staff were watching the screens and gasped.

The shadows that were creeping up behind the guards were the escaped inmates!

"We got trouble!"

"The prisoners of Level 2 have escaped!"

"But how'd they get the keys?"

"Is this more of Straw Hat's work? Those guards down there are in danger!"

* * *

One of the guards turned and gasped to see the horde of prisoners, their wrists and ankles free of their shackles.

"We owe you our respect and gratitude, O great Captain Buggy," said one.

"Our savior!" declared another.

"This is L-Level 2," said one of the guards, "requesting immediate backup! THE PRISONERS ARE RIOTING!"

That was all he could manage to say before the inmates jumped at them, planning to carry out their revenge on the hapless guards.

* * *

In the monitoring room, the other guards were prepared to go out to Level 2.

"Get the Blugori Level 2, as well!" ordered one.

"Hey!" one of the staff called. "I just found out why Straw Hat came here in the first place!"

"You did? How?"

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku at Marine HQ says that there's no doubt about it!" He looked to Luffy's wanted poster. "The intruder, Monkey D. Luffy, and the condemned prisoner, Portgas D. Ace…are brothers!"

"So that means that Straw Hat and his shapeshifting ally are trying to rescue Fire Fist before his execution! That has to be it!"

"So that must explain why they're going down from one Hell to another! We were too preoccupied with Whitebeard's impending attacks! If Straw Hat and his friend succeed, we could have a major disaster on our hands!"

"Hurry up and inform Warden Magellan of this! And someone, get those prisoners on Level 2 under control!"

* * *

 _ **At Marine HQ…**_

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

"And just WHAT is so funny, Garp?"

Monkey D. Garp was laughing his head off while eating rice crackers, once again, while Fleet Admiral Sengoku was scolding him.

"At such a critical time like this in the world's seas…!" Sengoku said. "What a crisis! First, Enies Lobby, then the attack on the Celestial Dragons, and now THIS! IT'S UNPRECEDENTED!" He sighed, trying to regain his composure. "Even if we take into account the escape of 'Golden Lion' Shiki, the flying pirates, that was still just 20 years ago! Out of hundreds of thousands of prisoners, no one else has ever been able to break in or out throughout its history! The Great Prison, Impel Down, has been impregnable for all these years!" He then turned and pointed an accusing finger at Garp, who was still laughing. "And one of the two first beings who would be foolish enough to actually break INTO it and ruin its reputation IS YOUR DAMNED GRANDSON, GARP!"

"I'm so proud of Luffy!" Garp said as he laughed.

"Bartholomew Kuma said that he had eradicated the Straw Hat Pirates at Sabaody," Sengoku growled. "That liar…!"

"Well, I'd never believe a Warlord's words to begin with," Garp said. "But I wonder how Straw Hat and his new friend who supposedly has the ability to transform into different monsters we've never seen before managed to get through the blockade surrounding the prison?"

Sengoku clutched at Garp's coat and pulled him up to his face, but Garp was still guffawing.

"If it weren't for your title as the 'Hero of the Marines', Garp," the Fleet Admiral began, "I'd make you pay for the sins of your entire family!"

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Garp laughed. "Are you kidding? This old geezer's life isn't worth NEARLY enough to pay for a disaster like this! BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

* * *

Down in Level 3, the unconscious Sphinx was lying on a sandy, desert-like floor with Luffy, Diamondhead, Buggy, and Mr. 3 jumping around because it was so hot.

Well, Luffy, Buggy, and Mr. 3 were.

"Ah, man," said Luffy. "It's so freaking hot. Why's it so quiet?"

"I can't believe it," said Buggy, sweating like a pig. "Level 3, of all places…how the devil did we end up down here?" He then turned to Luffy, furiously. "DAMN YOU, STRAW HAT! YOU'RE THE WHOLE REASON I'M IN THIS MESS!"

"The lion got knocked out," said Luffy, not paying attention.

"My Wax-Wax powers are useless in this heat," said Mr. 3 as he tried to make a little wax doll in his hand, only for it to melt.

Just then, something fell from above and became stuck in the floor. It looked like a dead bird, its body baked by intense heat.

"Ooh!" Luffy chirped. "A barbecue birdie!"

"Okay," said Diamondhead as he grabbed Luffy's shoulder, "I'm NOT watching you eat that."

"A hummingbird from the upper floors must've wandered in here gotten itself baked by the heat," Mr. 3 explained.

"It's like an oven in here!" Luffy and Buggy barked.

"Look around, inside the cells," said Mr. 3.

Luffy, Diamondhead, and Buggy looked around and saw the inmates inside, only…they all looked so emaciated and dehydrated.

"What in the world…?" said Diamondhead. "What's wrong with these guys?"

"Those men are now shells of their former selves," said Mr. 3. "All the inmates on this level…had bounties of at least 50 million Berries on their heads. Here, they torture the prisoners by restricting food and water, and to make matters worse, the heat is coming from the Inferno Hell, which is below us. All of them are close to death. This is Level 3, the Starvation Hell! We'd best get a move on…or else we'd end up like these wretches."

Buggy swallowed the lump in his throat.

Diamondhead however, felt his disgust towards the people who ran this prison grow. No matter what sort of crime these prisoners did, no one deserved this kind of treatment.

"You're right," said Buggy. "I don't wanna end up like these guys!"

"Right then," Luffy said, munching on the roasted hummingbird. "Let's get moving…to Level 4."

"HELL NO!" Buggy and Mr. 3 snapped.

"Why not?" Luffy asked. "I thought you guys you wanted to save Ace, too!"

"We said no such thing!" Mr. 3 remarked.

"You keep confusing what really happened with what you WANT to happen!" Buggy added.

"Come on Luffy," said Diamondhead as he kept walking, "It's no use arguing with them."

Unknown to the quartet, a guard happened to be eying from around the corner.

"They're in range," he spoke into a Transponder Snail. "Pull the net!"

 _"Roger that."_

"Fine then," said Luffy. "Ben and I will go by ourselves."

Suddenly, out of the corner of Diamondhead's eye, he spotted what looked like ropes being pulled.

"EVERYONE! LOOK OUT!" Diamondhead shouted in warning, but it was too late.

Luffy, Diamondhead, Buggy, Mr. 3, and the Sphinx were pulled up in a huge net!

"AAAAAHH!" Luffy yelped.

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?" Buggy questioned.

"WE'VE WALKED RIGHT INTO A TRAP!" Mr. 3 cried.

Luffy tried to bite through the ropes, but couldn't.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "These ropes feel like they're made of iron!" He suddenly started going limp. "Ugh…I feel weak…"

"I knew it!" Buggy said. "This net is made of sea prism stone!"

"They'll torture us twice as hard for trying to escape!" Mr. 3 exclaimed. "That's it! The end of the line! We're done for!"

 _"Sea prism stone?"_ thought Diamondhead as he prepared to cut through the ropes.

Down below, the guards and jailers soon gathered, as well as the Blugori.

 _"We've successfully capture Straw Hat, the shapeshifter, and the other two."_

"WHAT?" Buggy roared. "DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?"

"Give it a rest, Buggy," said Mr. 3. "It's over."

"LEMME OUTTA HERE!" Luffy barked.

 _"Put the sea prism stone cuffs on them!"_

 _"Roger that."_

Diamondhead was able to easily break free and fell to the ground much to the shock of everyone present. One of his arms shifted into a blade as the Petrosapien faced the guards and jailers, ready to take them down.

"Ben!" Luffy called as he kept biting the ropes. "Hang on! I'll be right there with you!"

"Don't bother."

At that sound of that voice, a newcomer entered center stage.

It was a little man with the appearance of that of a little devil or an imp in a white suit with a yellow shirt and black tie underneath. He also had a pair of yellow gloves. He wears a white sun hat with two horns coming out of it with a the Blugori insignia. Also, like Magellan and Hannyabal, he had wings protruding from his back.

He also didn't seem to have any ears.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked.

"I am Saldeath," said the impish-man.

"You don't look like one," said Luffy.

"NO, YOU FOOL!" Saldeath shouted. "YOU JUST CALLED ME A MONKEY!"

"So you are a monkey," said Luffy.

"HEY!" Saldeath shouted before he regained his composure. "Just give up, now. Resistance is futile. You and your cohorts are trapped in an inescapable undersea prison. You never had a chance to begin with, but you should be glad that I captured you, because the floor beneath this one is being patrolled by the four roaming Jailer Beasts."

 _"Jailer Beasts?"_ Diamondhead thought.

"He's right," said Buggy. "I definitely don't wanna run into them, or the Warden!"

Suddenly, the Sphinx's eyes opened.

"Chilled noodles," he said.

"Not again!"Diamondhead exclaimed.

"Captain!" shouted one of the jailers. "The Sphinx woke up!"

 **"GRAAAARR!"** The Sphinx as he thrashed about in the end.

"Fried noodles!" he shouted.

"Oh, no!" said one jailer. "At this rate, the net will break!"

"We can't let those four escape!" said Saldeath. "Especially 'Straw Hat'!"

But it was too late as the Sphinx ripped the net open.

 **"GRAAAAAAAAAAWWRR!"** He roared.

"Spaghetti soup!"

"All right!" Luffy exclaimed as he, Buggy, and Mr. 3 fell from the net. "We're out!"

The Sphinx also fell to the ground. Luffy landed on his feet, next to Diamondhead.

"You okay, Luffy?" Diamondhead asked.

Luffy gave his ally a grin and a thumbs up.

"Get them!"

Luffy turned to the Blugori, who charged at him and Diamondhead.

Blizzard attempted to attack, but he was still weak from the heat. Knowing this, Luffy had to step in.

"Gum-Gum…GATLING!"

Luffy unleashed a series of rapid-fire punches upon the Blugori and the jailers while Diamondhead conjured up several large cluster of crystals from the ground and threw them at the jailers, taking out a great number of them with ease.

At that moment, they noticed that Buggy and Mr. 3 were missing.

"Hey," he said. "Where'd they go?"

"C'mon, Mr. 3! Hurry up!"

"This heat…I can't…!"

Luffy looked up and saw the two in questions, walking upon the rafters.

"Hey!" he called. "What are you guys doing way up there?"

Buggy and Mr. 3 smirked and made taunting faces at Luffy and Diamondhead.

"So long, Straw Hat!" Buggy called. "Give your brother my regards! If he's still alive, then tell him that we should have a drink real soon!"

"Lead them away for us!" Mr. 3 called down. "Sucker…"

 _"Jerks,"_ Diamondhead thought. " _If I wasn't so busy with these bozos, I'd go Rath and really give them something to laugh about."_

Luffy, on the other hand, had a different view at it.

"But…we just met up, again," he said. Then he smiled and waved up to them. "Okay, guys!" he called. "Thanks a lot for getting me this far, anyway!"

"AGH!" the two villains gagged at Luffy's positive attitude.

"How can he be so optimistic?" Buggy questioned.

"It hurts!" Mr. 3 gasped. "Oh, it hurts so much inside!"

Diamondhead couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"Don't let you guard down, even for a minute!" Saldeath said. "His bounty is over 300,000,000 Berries!"

Luffy kicked another Blugori away, not just trying to protect his friend, but also because he just wanted to get to Ace, and fast.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "I don't have time to fight with you guys!"

 **"GRAAAAAARR!"** The Sphinx roared, once again.

"Oh, crap!" Luffy cursed, again. "I forgot about him!"

The Sphinx slammed his paw down at the duo, but Luffy and Diamondhead were able to get out of the way, with the former hopping on the heads of two other jailers.

Just as another Blugori was about to attack, Luffy grabbed one by the arm.

"OUTTA OUR WAY!" he shouted. Luffy threw the Blugori at the jailers and other Blugori as he jumped through the prison.

"Stairs! Stairs!" he said. "Where are the stairs?"

"After them!" said a jailer. "Don't let them get away!"

"You guys have been talking a lot of hot air." Diamondhead quipped as in a flash of green light he was replaced by Terraspin who stood to his full height. "I think it's time to fan you off."

With that, Terraspin jumped into the air and extended his flippers angling them like fan blades, his legs then joined together to form a third blade, giving him the appearance of a large Y behind an O. the flippers then started spinning like a fan, while the shell remained stationary, and a powerful blast of wind shot out of the holes in Terraspin's shell. The force of the wind grew more intense by the second until the jailers and Blugori were met with a full gale-force of wind.

Loose bits of debris and other items scattered in the fight, were swept up by the powerful wind, some launched themselves at the Blugori, who where trying to fight the wind. But their attempts were in vain as the Terraspin increased his power to the point were all the jailers were knocked off their feet.

Terraspin eventually stopped his attack and returned to his normal form. His attention was then caught by the sound of Luffy running off in another direction. Terraspin, retracted his head into his shell and formed into his fan form again. However this time, he angled himself to the ground and spun his flippers in a similar fashion to a helicopter. The alien hero then took to the air to where his ally was currently heading.

* * *

"Hah…hah…it's so hot."

Buggy and Mr. 3 were still on the rafters, resting due to the heat of the Level.

"Okay," said Buggy. "I think we should be safe here, for now. Lucky for us, they went after Straw Hat and Ben."

"Yes," agreed Mr. 3, "but the stairs leading up are blocked and just being here is torturous!"

As the two rested they suddenly heard what sounded like…singing.

 _" **Un, deux, GRAGH~!"**_

 _ **"Un, deux, UGH~!"**_

"Who the hell is singing?" Buggy questioned.

 _" **Un, deux, GRAGH~!"**_

 _ **"Un, deux, BLEGH~!"**_

Mr. 3 gasped, as if realization had struck.

"That voice…" he whispered. "It can't be!"

 _" **This world is made for men and women,**_

 _ **But when you're me, you're both a man and a woman~!**_

 _ **That's why I'm the strongest!"**_

 _ **(Strongest!)**_

 _ **(Strongest!)**_

 _ **(Strongest!)**_

 _ **"OH, COME MY WAY~!"**_

 _ **"Oh, the strongest!"**_

 _ **(Strongest!)**_

 _ **(Strongest!)**_

 _ **(Strongest!)**_

 _ **Mmm~**_

 _ **"Oh, COME MY WAY~!"**_

The one who was singing was revealed to be…Bon Clay, otherwise known as the former Baroque Agent, Mr. 2.

He was still alive, after all!

Behind him, there were other prisoners who were frail and weak from hunger and exhaustion while Bon seemed to still have energy to burn. The inmates soon collapsed.

"You did quite well!" said Bon as he did a pirouette. "I'll just keep spinning, spinning, and spinning! Like the bewildering we live in! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hey! C'mon, you lot! Get up!"

At that moment, Mr. 3 and Buggy appeared at the cell.

"C'mon!" said Bon. "This stifling heat is nothing! Why, I can be more stifling than this!" As he spun, he noticed Mr. 3 and Buggy. "Oh! Well if it isn't Mr. 3! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"It's you…" Mr. 3 muttered.

Bon continued to hum, but then he did a double-take and got the shock of his life.

"WHAT?!" he cried. "MR. 3?! W-what are you doing here? Does this mean that you were captured, too? Wait a minute, what am I saying? I'M the one who got captured! Oh, just look at me! I was so taken back, that I had to do a double-take! It's my latest Oh-Come-My-Way Karate Move: Looking Back on that Autumn Night's Dream!"

"Suddenly, I've changed my mind about setting him free," said Mr. 3 as he slumped against the cell bars.

"Just what is this strange creature?" Buggy asked.

* * *

 _ **AN: That's all for now. This was the longest chapter so far, so I hoped you enjoyed it. I'm still requesting fanart for my stories if anyone's interested, also feel free to check out my other Ben 10 story which is a crossover with Devilman since that hasn't got many views compared to my other stories. Alright then, I'll see you next chapter.**_


	7. Inferno

The alarms around Impel Down were blaring. Marines were in an uproar, preparing to enter the prison after they had just learned that Monkey D. Luffy and Ben had infiltrated the facility.

"We were already on high alert!"

"How were they able to slip through like that?"

"There are only two intruders," said a Marine Captain wearing a samurai helmet, "but if 'Fire Fist' Ace were to escape, both Impel Down and the World Government would be the laughing stock of the entire world!" He turned to his troops.

"You will now enter Impel Down and capture 'Straw Hat' Luffy and this so-called shapeshifter!" he ordered. "The reputation of Marine HQ is at stake, here!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Mmmm~! Wait just a minute!" said a feminine voice.

The Marines stood in front of the doors and saw two figures.

The first was a woman with long, unkempt, orange hair, and was dressed in a skimpy, red, devil-themed outfit which covered only the top half of her exposed breasts with laces hanging that hung down, which were also featured around her waist. She had long sleeves that sloped into stylized rips. Around her neck, she wore a scarf-like cape that is white on the outside and pale pink on the inside. In her hand was a pitchfork and upon her head was a headpiece that resembled a pair of horns. She had candle-shaped earrings and high-heeled shoes that came to a curved tip decorated with spikes. She looked like that of a dominatrix.

The other figure, who was peeking through the crack in the door…looked like a big, yellow koala with thick lips.

"Who're you?" asked the Marine Captain.

"I am Miss Sadie," said the woman. "Allowing intruders to enter and then calling in the Marines to take care of them gives Impel Down…mmmm…a black eye."

"'Miss' Sadie," a Marine soldier repeated. "So, what, you think you're cute or something or other?"

"SILENCE!" Sadie snapped. "CALL ME 'MISS SADIE', OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

She cracked looked like a whip on the Marine's head.

"AAAGH!" the Marine screamed as he held his whiplash.

"AAAAH~!" Sadie screamed in pleasure. "Mmmm~! I LOVE the sounds of painful screams!"

The Marine soldier growled and prepares to go at Sadie's throat, but the Captain raised an arm in front of him.

"Are you trying to tell me you don't need our help?" he questioned.

"This prison is an infernal labyrinth," said Sadie. "If you're not familiar with the layout, you won't be of any help. Just stay out here…and make sure no one gets in or out. Now, raise the drawbridge, which is the only way in or out, mmmm…seal Impel Down off, completely!"

While Sadie shouted this, the marines couldn't help but eye the giant koala-creature standing behind her.

And so, all entrances and exits were closed, thus sealing Impel Down tight, not allowing anyone else in or out.

* * *

But meanwhile, on the floor where Ace and Jimbei are being held…

"Hey, look," said one of the inmates. "It's Hannyabal."

"And the Warden, Magellan, too!" said another. "What the hell's going on?"

In front of Ace's cell stood Hannyabal.

"You have yourself a special visitor, Ace!" said Hannyabal. "Bet you can't guess who it is. Even you've never met her, Jimbei."

Ace, Jimbei, and the others prisoners looked up.

"Everyone knows her name," said Hannyabal, "but only few have ever seen her, before. The Empress of the Kuja Tribe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

Hancock came standing behind him.

"The powerful, proud, and beautiful Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock! WHOO-HOO!"

Hannyabal fired a confetti cone, but then Magellan hit him upside the head.

"OUCH!" Hannyabal cried. "I really want to be the Warden! Err…! I mean…that really hurt!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Magellan questioned.

Jimbei seemed surprised by Hancock's appearance. Ace and another prisoner just sat, silently.

All the others prisoners, however, just went totally flustered upon seeing Hancock's beauty. "WHOO~!" One inmate whooped.

"What a woman!" cried another. "Look at that body!"

"So she's the Snake Princess of the Kuja, huh?" questioned one. "Hey, beautiful! Turn that head of yours my way!"

"Oh, Hancock~! "

"How exquisite she is~!"

"Hey, lady! Over here!"

"Come into our cell, why don't ya?"

"We won't hurt ya…much! Ha!"

"You smell like tropical flowers, cutie!"

"Take me to that Maiden Island of yours!"

"There's women there as far as the eye can see, and I hear they don't wear any underwear!"

"WHOO~! "

Ace, ignoring the craziness, just stared at Hancock, unaffected by her beauty, just like Luffy.

"Spill it," he said. "What the hell do you want?"

"I have no business with you, young Fire Fist," said Hancock. "I just wanted to see the man who is responsible for triggering this war that I'm about to participate in."

"Hmph," Ace scoffed. "So…I'm just some curiosity, huh?"

The prisoners were still making catcalls at Hancock, trying to get her attention.

"The unflappable Pirate Empress," leered Jimbei. "Why do you wish to help the World Government, and NOW of all times? Is keeping your title of Warlord THAT important to you?"

"Hey, pretty lady!"

"Look over here!"

"They're trying to have a conversation," Magellan said to the prisoners. "Now shut up!"

"You shut up, Magellan! Or should I say '24/7 Diarrhea-Man'?"

"Ha! You tell him, Buzz!"

"Hey! Snake Princess! Don't you think all those pretty ladies on that island of yours hungry for men?"

"Hey! Hurry up and retire, already, Warden!" Hannyabal called.

"Vice-Warden…" Domino said.

"So you're Jimbei," said Hancock. "You don't have to snap at me, you know." She then turned to one of the cells. "And you jabbering fools!"

"Yes!" said one drooling inmate. "She's finally looking over here! "

"If you insist on saying those harassing things," Hancock continued before she made a mixed expression of cuteness and fear, "you'll…scare me."

That was enough to send the prisoners into a frenzy, except Suchigoro, who kept his calm demeanor.

"I LOVE IT~!"

"GIVE HER HERE, DIARRHEA MAN!"

"WHOOOOO~!"

"Humph," Momonga grunted. "What vulgar swine. They make me sick!"

"Such out-of-control vermin," said Hannyabal. "Your reputation is ruined, Warden. What a failure you are."

"SHE'S SO IRRESISTIBLE~! " Magellan exclaimed in the same love-struck state.

"You're no better than they are, Diarrhea Man!" Hannyabal snapped.

"However," Magellan said, suddenly snapping out of it as a strange, "I cannot allow such disrespectful behavior."

Suddenly **,** A strange, purple substance started to seep from the Warden's body.

"GIVE HANCOCK TO ME~!"

"NO, ME! ME!"

Hannyabal turned to Magellan, desperately, "Wait, Warden!" he said. "Don't! You'll endanger us, as well!"

Magellan didn't listen. Instead, three streams of purple liquid came gushing off of him.

"Know your place," said Magellan as the streams of venom had transformed into a huge, three-headed dragon.

The prisoners gasped, finally realizing the danger they were in.

"Oh, no!" said one. "It's…the Hydra!"

"I'll show you who's in charge of this prison!" Magellan declared.

"No, wait, you bastard!" one of the prisoners cried. "We were just kidding!"

But it was too late.

One of the Hydra's heads attacked the cell, and it hit one of the inmates, coating him in lethal poison.

"Uh…AAAAGGH!" he screamed.

"That's it," said another inmate. "You're dead meat, pal."

"No! Someone! Gimme the antidote! Please!"

"Don't any one of you rats forget," Magellan began, "that I have the power and the authority to execute the whole lot of you…right here and now!"

The prisoners just stared at the Warden, not speaking a word, but they were indeed fearful, for they were reminded just how serious a threat he could be to their lives, thanks to his Devil Fruit powers.

"Now then, Hancock," said Magellan. "Please, take your time with 'Fire Fist' Ace."

"No need," said Hancock. "My business is finished, here."

"Wait!" Ace called to the Warlord. "Are you sure?"

"I've no reason to lie," Hancock replied. A small smirk played on her lips. "Oh, and by the way…he was afraid you'd get angry with him if he came here."

With that, Hancock and her escorts began to leave.

"What did she say to him?" asked Magellan.

"I don't know," said Hannyabal. "I was too busy trying to escape from you, Warden!"

Back in Ace and Jimbei's cell, the latter turned to the former and asked, "Ace…what did she tell you? I couldn't hear her!"

Ace swallowed the lump in his throat and answered, "She said…my little brother, Luffy, and some guy who can somehow transform into different monsters…are here!"

"What?" Jimbei questioned. "You mean the boy in the Straw Hat you always talk about? How foolhardy he must be!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Level 3, the Starvation Hell, Luffy was seen running up a flight of stairs with Terraspin tailing behind.

"What's going on?" Luffy asked. "Since when did we start going upstairs? We were trying to go down!"

 _'Buggy was right,'_ Terraspin thought. ' _This place IS like a maze!'_

Luffy's stomach roared. "I'm starving."

Unbeknownst to the duo, a Transponder Snail that was slithering up the wall was watching them.

 _"Now entering Sector C."_

"Target sighted."

Up ahead, a group of guards had been anticipating Luffy and Ben to come up the stairs and aimed their rifles at opened fire, but Luffy was were swift enough to dodge the shots while the bullets bounced off Terraspin's nearly impenetrable shell. However, when they looked back, they saw that they were nets behind them.

"Crap," Luffy cursed. "It's probably those sea prism stone nets, again! Ben! Let's go!"

Terraspin nodded before he followed after Luffy, both dodging the nets as they were fired, but as they were running, A giant paw pinned both of them down.

"AGH!" Luffy gagged. He looked up and saw that it was the Sphinx. "Oh, no! The lion!"

"Oh, that's just GREAT!" said Terraspin. "How can things get any worse?"

 **"GRAAAAAAARRR!"** The Sphinx roared, prepared to eat both Luffy and Terraspin whole.

"Wait just a minute, you vile beast!"

Luffy and Terraspin looked upon hearing a familiar gruff voice. They looked up, and they see… Roronoa Zoro, dressed in a prisoner's uniform, poised like a ballet dancer. "I'm here to save you, Luffy!" he said.

"Zoro?" Luffy said, smiling. "Don't tell me they threw you in here, too!"

"Wait, you mean the guy who became the first mate on your crew you told me about?" Terraspin said as he turned back to normal in a flash of green light.

"Just kidding!" "Zoro" said, before he jumped at the Sphinx and He threw powerful kick to the Sphinx's jaw, one that would rival Sanji's. The kick was so strong, it freed Luffy and Ben from his grasp.

Luffy looked up to his savior, and that's when he realized…

"That's not Zoro," he said.

It was revealed that the man was none other than Bon Clay!

"Ta-DAH~!" Bon Clay cried, tears streaming from his eyes. "It's me, Straw Boy!"

"Bon!" Luffy cried, a joyful smile on his face. "I'm a little disappointed when I realized it wasn't Zoro, but…YOU'RE ALIVE!"

Ben didn't seem to understand, at first, but then he realized that he had heard about this Bon Clay through Luffy's stories and remembered that he was an old friend. As strange as it was, the Omnitrix wielder decided not to worry about it. If he was a friend of Luffy, then he was okay in his book.

"Out of our way, you rats!" Bon Clay snapped at the guards. "What do you think you're doing to my friend?"

He kicked the guards away.

Saldeath, who was also there, turned to see the Sphinx, seemingly staggering to his paws.

"That's right, Sphinx!" said Saldeath. "Fight back till you can't anymore!"

Upon taking a closer look, it was revealed that Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay had beaten the Sphinx into submission. The huge beast was now lying down on the floor, a huge mess of lumps on his head and his face all bloodied.

"DAAAAAAAAAHH!" Saldeath screamed. "SPHIIIIIIIIIIINNX!"

"That should do it!" said Luffy.

"Let's hope he's really down for the count this time," said Ben.

"That's right, Straw Boy!" Bon Clay said, doing a pirouette. "The best way to make a simple-minded brute like this understand where it's place is to clobber it! It's the Law of the Wild! WAHAHAHA!"

 _"Another escapee?"_ Saldeath thought. " _I don't understand it! Are they recruiting as they go?"_

Luffy and Bon Clay embraced each other in a tearful, joyous reunion.

"Oh, Bon!" Luffy said. "I thought you were a goner when you gave yourself up back there in Alabasta!"

"Of course not!" Bon Clay said. "We swans never die! Right?"

 _'Uh...Swan?'_ Ben thought, raising an eyebrow.

Just to recap, Bon Clay's Devil Fruit is the Clone-Clone Devil Fruit. It gives him the power to mimic others just by touching their faces with their right hand. If he touches his own face with his left hand, he turns back into himself.

"Blugori!" Saldeath demanded as he put his pitchfork to his mouth like a flute, again. "Don't let them get away!"

 **"UHOOO!"** The Blugori roared.

"By the way, Straw Boy," said Bon Clay. "I heard you and your friend Ben want to go all the way down to Level 5, am I right?"

"Yeah!" Luffy replied. "You wouldn't know how to get there, would ya?"

"Of course!" said Bon Clay as he got into a fighting stance. "Let's go together! There's someone Level 5 that I want to see, too!"

"You do?" Luffy asked, also poised to fight.

"Well, here we go," said Ben.

Three escapees are now loose in Impel Down, supposed accomplices of the "Straw Hat" Luffy and the shapeshifter.

Pirate Captain Buggy the Clown, inmate #E8200.

Former Baroque Works Agent, Galdino, A.K.A "Mr. 3", inmate #D0464.

Former Baroque Works Agent, Bentham, A.K.A "Mr. 2 Bon Clay", inmate #C9915.

Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay are currently in level 3, the Starvation Hell, Sector N, heading down to Level 4. The whereabouts of Buggy and Mr. 3 are currently unknown. There was also a riot going on in Level 2, which Saldeath and the Blugori had gone to suppress since the Blugori were no match for Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay.

The prisoners, who had tapped into communications via Black Transponder Snail. While some were making a joke about the events that were going on, others were certain that Luffy, Ben, Bon Clay, Buggy, and Mr. 3 were certainly goners.

In Magellan's office on Level 4, he had finished communications with the guards and were now giving Sadie, Hannyabal, and three other shadowy figures their orders.

"The guests have left, yes?" Sadie asked. "In that case, we're all set for the hunt! Mmmmm…what would you like us to, Warden?"

"Ah, Miss Sadie," said Magellan. "Is there anyone on Level 3?"

"Just, mmmmmm…the Minotaurus," Sadie replied.

"But we can't corner them on Level 3," said Magellan. "There are too many possible escape routes. Let Saldeath take care of the riot on Level 2. Deploy all forces to Level 4! If they somehow managed to escape the Minotaurus and drop into the Inferno Hell…then I shall execute them, myself! That should teach them not to underestimate Impel Down!"

Hannyabal swallowed the lump in his throat in fear.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Level 3, Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay were still trying to make their way to Level 4. However, they had soon ran into a problem.

"What the hell?" Luffy asked. "What is that thing? Did you see it move? So fast!"

"What is this thing supposed to be?" Ben remarked.

The thing that Ben was referring to was revealed to be some sort of minotaur…a dumb-looking minotaur with beady, cutesy eyes, big, thick lips, and a runny nose. Its body pattern was that of a Holstein cow. He wore red-and-white striped pants with a crescent moon belt buckle. In its hand was a spiked club.

"Oh, no," said Bon Clay. "It's Minotaurus!"

"Mino-what's-it?" Luffy questioned.

"Minotaurus!" Bon Clay repeated. "One of the Jailer Beasts of Impel Down! These guys are cold-blooded monsters that treat human beings like trash!"

"Monsters?" Luffy repeated. "So, are they like Devil Fruit users are something?"

Ben quickly transformed into Goop in case the Minotaurus tried anything.

Suddenly, the Minotaurus seemed to move so fast, that he couldn't be seen, then He slammed his spiked club into Bon Clay's head. He was thrown right into a wall!

"BON!" Luffy cried.

 _'Whoa, that thing is faster than it looks!'_ Goop thought before he looked up and saw, to his horror, that the Minotaurus was now right behind him. Before he could react quick enough, Minotaurus slammed his club into Goop, splattering him into a wall as well.

"BEN, NO!" Luffy cried.

Minotaurus then swung his club down at Luffy, who managed to roll out of the way. However, Minotaurus proved to be too quick for Luffy, for before he knew it, He swung his club into Luffy's head, and because it was spiked, it could deal a lot more damage.

"AAAAAAAGGH!" Luffy screamed as he held his face in pain and rolled around on the floor until he hit a wall. He was in so much agony, he didn't notice that Minotaurus was about to attack, again. Just when it seemed like Luffy was about to get smashed again…

"LOOK OUT, STRAW BOY!"

Bon Clay laid a powerful kick to the beast's head, giving Luffy a chance to run away. However, before Bon Clay himself could escape, Minotaurus pinned him to the floor by his neck.

"Bon!" Luffy cried. "No!"

"AGH!" Bon Clay gagged as mouth started foaming. "I…I'm gonna die…!"

Luffy attempted to help Bon Clay, but he was still recovering from his injury, when suddenly, A green flash of light sounded out before a yellow blur raced passed Luffy and the Minotaurus was hit with an intense shockwave by one of Armodrillo's jackhammer arms, sending it flying across the room.

"Ben!" Luffy cried.

Armodrillo walked up to Luffy and in another flash of green light, reverted back to normal.

"Thanks, buddy," he said.

"Don't mention it," Ben nodded, _'But something tells me he won't stay down for long.'_

"Bon!" Luffy called. "You okay?"

Bon shuddered as he came to his feet.

"For a moment there, I really thought I was done for," said Bon Clay. "I saw a field of queens before me eyes! What happened?"

"Ben turned into some yellow armored guy and knocked out the cow with some kind of shockwave," said Luffy. "It was really weird. I bet he's still alive, though, but I don't know how long it'll take for it to wake up."

"Oh, this is just terrible," said Bon Clay. "Look at me! My makeup is ruined! I need cosmetics! And new ballet slippers, and new clothes, and new weapons…as well as booze, and tears, and the Oh-Come-My-Way."

"We need to go down further," said Luffy, who had his tongue lulling out of his mouth and a hand to his stomach, "but I'm really hungry, and thirsty, too."

Ben wiped some sweat off his brow. He had forgotten about the intense heat, and it was starting to get to him, again.

"Don't fret, Straw Boy and Ben Boy!" said Bon Clay. "It's really easy to get down to Level 4 from here! INSANELY easy!"

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Wait, you're not pulling my arm, are ya?"

It's pulling your LEG, Luffy," Ben pointed out.

"Indeed!" Bon Clay answered. "Just try climbing up that wall over there!"

Luffy looked to the wall beside him and jumped up to it. The moment he did, though, His palms began to burn.

"YOW!" Luffy cried. "Bon, we can't climb this wall! It's hotter than a boiling pot! We can't even touch it!"

"How very observant of you," said Bon Clay.

As the three reached a hole in the wall that acted like some sort of window, they saw that there was smoker billowing through it.

"Ah!" Luffy yelped as he hopped about. "Hot! Hot! Hot!"

"Take a look down there," Bon Clay inquired.

Luffy and Ben looked down and saw a huge tower of smoke with a fan in the ceiling. Whatever was down there, they couldn't see through the smoke.

"What the hell is this?" Luffy questioned. "The heat and smoke are crazy!"

"So, Bon is it?" Ben said. "Why would you show us this?"

"Because, Ben Boy," said Bon Clay, "right down there is where you want to go! Level 4, the Inferno Hell!"

"Oh, man," said Luffy. "The heat coming from below is too hot, even for me! Ugh…!"

"Like you said," Bon Clay explained, "Level 4 is like a giant cooking pot. Below this, all you'll find is the Boiling Pool of Blood, a huge sea of flames! Jump down, if you want, but if you pick a bad place to land, odds are you'll be ending up with more then just burns. You'll be taking your entire life in your hands!"

"Hey, Bon," said Luffy. "Didn't you say there was someone you wanted to see down there? Who is it? Are you even willing to risk your life for this guy?"

"Oh, yes, Straw Boy," Bon Clay answered. "People call him…'The Miracle Worker'. He was arrested on trumped-up charges. They call him 'Iva'. He's the Queen of the Kamabakka Kingdom, the Pink Paradise of the Grand Line! The queens of the world look up to him as the world's greatest drag queen!"

 _'This guy sounds like a real weirdo among other things that I don't want to think about,'_ Ben thought.

"I want to meet him!" Bon Clay declared. "If possible, I want to break him out of here!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay looked up when they heard two familiar screams. They were revealed to belong Buggy and Mr. 3...and not too far behind them…was Minotaurus!

Soon enough, Ben, Luffy and Bon Clay were also running away from the Jailer Beast.

 _'Aw man,'_ Ben cursed in thought, _'That thing is tougher than I thought!'_

"WHY DID YOU TWO LEAD HIM HERE TO US?" Bon Clay shouted. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE TRYING TO ESCAPE!"

"I knew it!" Luffy said, smiling. "I knew you guys wanted to come with me!"

"HELL NO!" Buggy shouted. "I TOLD YOU FIVE TIMES, ALREADY, I'M NOT LETTING YOU DRAG ME DOWN TO HELL! WE WERE HIDING WHEN THAT MONSTER CAME CHARGING AT US! I DON'T KNOW HOW IN THE HELL IT FOUND US!"

"I've had enough of this," said Mr. 3, who was weakened from the heat. "I'd much rather be in jail!"

"Dammit all!" Buggy cursed. "The Minotaurus is gonna kill us all at this rate! I'll show you something special!" He turned to Luffy. "Hey, Straw Hat! Do you remember the time I devastated that town with my special Buggy Ball?"

"Uh," Luffy hummed. "Nope."

Buggy seemed to frown upon hearing that answer.

"The Buggy Ball is a very powerful cannonball!" Buggy said. "It's sort of my…trademark weapon."

"You must have a lot of confidence in this 'Buggy Ball' if you had put your name in it," Mr. 3 commented.

"Forgive me if somehow doubt that," Ben retorted.

"That's right!" Buggy exclaimed. "I made one small enough to conceal on my body while maintaining its destructive abilities! It's my newest weapon! I call it…'The Muggy Ball'!"

"It's not named after you, anymore!" cried Mr. 3.

Buggy suddenly came to a stop, "Chew on this!" he shouted as something was fired out of the toe of his shoe. It was tiny, about the size of a grape, and it was sent flying into Minotaurus's face.

"SPECIAL MUGGY BALL!"

The Muggy Ball created an enormous explosion once it hit Minotaurus.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed. "That was…AWESOME!"

"Wonderful!" Bon Clay added.

However, it appeared that it was not enough to defeat Minotaurus, for he was still standing.

"How could he still be conscious?" Buggy questioned in disbelief.

"Leave this to me, Straw Boy!" Bon Clay declared before he jumped at Minotaurus.

"Hey, Three!" Luffy called to Mr. 3. "Can't you use your Wax-Wax powers or something?"

"No!" Mr. 3 answered. "Anything I make will melt in three seconds!"

"That's long enough for me!" Luffy said while Bon Clay did several flips in the air, "Fly! Fly! I'm flying through the sky~!" he sang. "Oh-Come-My-Way Karate…Winter Wonderland…JETE!"

He landed another powerful kick on Minotaurus's crown. While Minotaurus held his head in pain, he was unaware of the group's strategy.

"Here we go, Straw Hat!" Mr. 3 exclaimed. "Candle LOCK!" Mr. 3 covered Luffy's right arm with wax.

"Okay!" Luffy said as he threw his arm back and twisted it around while still holding Blizzard. "GUUUUUM…GUUUUUUM…"

Minotaurus showed that he wasn't ready to give up, just yet, for he raised up his spike club. It was too late for him to make a counter attack, though.

"HAMMER RIFLE!" Luffy's spinning fist, combined with Mr. 3's Candle Lock, landed a very powerful blow to Minotaurus's jaw. The wax melted away as Minotaurus was sent flying away.

"YES!" Buggy and Mr. 3 cheered.

"WE DID IT!" Bon Clay chimed. "WE DEFEATED THE JAILER BEAST!"

"Okay, you guys!" said Luffy. "Let's keep this up and get to Level 4!"

* * *

Down in Ace and Jimbei's cell, the latter could hear Ace muttering something to himself.

"Whatever you do…" Ace whispered, "…please…don't come here…Luffy!"

* * *

 _"This Level 4! Starting with Warden Magellan, all forces have now gathered on…the Inferno Hell!"_

Outside, in the rear passage of Impel Down, Hancock and Momonga were being taken to their battleship on a little boat that was being steered by one of the staff of Impel Down.

"So," asked Momonga, "how much long until his execution?"

"Twenty-nine hours," said the one piloting the boat, "It's set for three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. If everything goes as planned, then that'll be the end of it. Portgas D. Ace will be escorted out of the prison, tomorrow morning."

Hancock, however, didn't seem to be paying any attention. She just looked up at the wall surrounding Impel Down.

 _'Luffy,_ she thought. _Yours and Ben's safety are my only concerns.'_

* * *

Momonga and Hancock arrived at the battleship, where they heard some rather upsetting news. Apparently, "Red-Haired" Shanks had been involved in some minor clashes that have been going on in the New World…against Kaido, another one of the Four Emperors. Kaido was trying to take advantage of the current situation to take out Whitebeard, but Shanks got in his way, at least that's what they believe down at HQ. Now, everyone is on high alert. In spite of his worry, Momonga decided to leave it alone, for now, for Whitebeard and Ace were their top priority. After all, who could possibly stop a battle between two of the Four Emperors?

"There's no way that the big confrontation with Whitebeard can be avoided!" Momonga declared. "Even the whole world can feel it! Hurry, on to Marineford!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Level 3, Luffy, Ben, Bon Clay, Buggy, and Mr. 3 were discussing Luffy's plan while Minotaurus lay defeated.

"Inferno Hell is just below us, and yet you still wanna go down?" Buggy shouted.

"We are NOT going down to Level 4!" exclaimed Mr. 3.

"Why not?" Luffy asked.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"Listen, Straw Hat," said Mr. 3. "We're trying to break out of the prison! Out!"

"Yeah, so we gotta go up! UP! Understand?" Buggy said as he pointed upwards.

"Hey big nose, no one said you had to stay here," Ben remarked.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Buggy yelled, questioningly.

"Just ignore them, Straw Boy," said Bon Clay. "Those two are nothing but big, gutless dorks."

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING A BIG-NOSED DORK?" Buggy snapped.

"WHAT?" Bon Clay yelled. "How in the world did you get THAT out of what I said? Fine, then! I'll just twirl!"

"Oh, hey!" Luffy said. "Check it out! The ceiling's getting higher!"

 _'No...it's not,'_ Ben noticed.

"You're right," said Mr. 3. "But wait…what's that rumbling sound? What is this? Some sort of trick?"

"Wait!" Bon Clay said. "The ceiling's not rising! We're falling!"

They all screamed, except Ben, who had transformed into Snare-Oh.

"My Muggy Ball worked too well!" Buggy cried. "It broke right through the floor!"

"No way!" Luffy said. "It was my punch that did it!"

"You're wrong!" Bon Clay added. "It was the power of my kick!"

"No, it was my..." Mr. 3 started, but then trailed off. "Oh, never mind."

"THAT'S IT?"

 _'Doofus,'_ Snare-Oh thought as he broke his body apart to create a pile of bandages.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA BURN~!" the four of them screamed as they fell further and further down…towards Level 4, the Inferno Hell.

* * *

"No, wait! Stop! Please!"

"Don't do this! We'll die!"

"Save your breath! You'll get what you deserve! Just how many innocent lives did you take before you got here?"

"… … …"

"Do it."

"No! No, please!"

A huge, shadowy beast then throws a group of prisoners down into a boiling vat…of blood. The prisoners swam up, screaming at the top of their lungs in agony.

"Help!"

"Get us outta here!"

"Please!"

"Bring more firewood! Hurry it up!"

This was Level 4, the Inferno Hell, which really deserves the name. The whole place had a sea of flames sitting under a huge of vat of boiling blood. The heat here was unbearable, which was the guards were wearing special suits to protect themselves from the heat. It is also right above where Ace is said to be held.

"Hey! One of the prisoners is trying to escape!"

A prisoner was running along the stone bridge above the Boiling Pool of Blood, pushing his fellow inmates out of his way, even though his hands were still cuffed.

"Outta my way! Move!" he shouted. "I'm burning up! My guts feel like they're on fire! This place is worse than death, itself! I can't stand it anymore! GET OUTTA MY WAY!"

He pushed another prisoner out of his way, "AGH!" he cried.

"I said OUTTA MY WAY! Do you wanna get thrown into the fire?"

The prisoner slammed his fist into the back of another…only this one wouldn't stand for it. The inmate turned to his attacker, and, using the large piece of timber that he was holding…He struck the prisoner off the bridge!

"AAAAAAAH!" he screamed.

"Hey!" shouted a guard. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't assault your fellow inmates!"

The prisoner was revealed to Former Baroque Assassin, Daz Bones, also known as Mr. 1, the one Zoro defeated back in Alabasta. Mr. 1 licked the blood that was trickling down his temple before he continued to carry the firewood. Due to wearing sea prism stone cuffs, he would have to deal with using that and his own fists for weapons…for now, at least.

Inside the cells, the inmates were getting worried about something.

"What in the hell are Magellan and Hannyabal doing down in Level 4?"

"The Jailer Beasts are here, too."

"This is getting scary. What's going on, here?"

In the passage connecting Level 3 and Level 4, there were guards everywhere, wearing fireproof coats and such.

"Jeez, it's so hot down here!"

"Then make sure you zip up your coat. It's the only thing that'll keep out the heat."

"If Straw Hat Luffy, the shapeshifter, and those other three do come down, the only way they can get here is through this door. Any word yet? Did Minotaurus get them?"

In the middle of it all, Magellan was sitting in a box of some sort with Hannyabal standing beside him.

"Warden," Hannyabal began, "when I take your place, I want a more open chair."

"Quiet," Magellan said. "I like enclosed spaces, and I want to shut you out, too."

"If I'd known we're going to have wait this long," Sadie began, "I would've, mmmm, gone straight to Level 3."

"Be patient Miss Sadie," said Magellan.

"Oh, it's not me," said Sadie. "It's them."

Behind Sadie, there were three other huge creatures.

The first one looked like a bipedal zebra in pants. He has a runny nose and large lips, just like Minotaurus. He also has long, curly, elegant, purple hair. He also had a pair of bored-looking eyes. In his hands was a spike-ball mace.

He is Minozebra, one of the Jailer Beasts, who is described as being very shy.

The second one looked like a big yellow koala in pants. He has cutesy eyes, just like Minotaurus, as well as large lips and a runny nose. On his hands were two spiked knuckles. Tied to his belt is a bag full of eucalyptus leaves, which he is currently munching on.

He is Minokoala, another Jailer Beast, who is described as having a feisty nature.

The third, and last, was a large, blue, bipedal rhino in overalls. Just like Minokoala and Minotaurus, he has cutesy eyes, large lips, and, of course, a runny nose. In his hands were not one, but two spiked clubs.

He is Minorhinoceros, the fourth, and last, Jailer Beast, who has a quiet nature.

"They're thirsty for blood," Sadie began, eerily, "and they don't have one shred of patience, at all."

"Reporting, sir!" said a guard. "Straw Hat Luffy and his ally are currently inside the well-hole tower of Level 3! We've been unable to obtain any video of them."

"It would save us a lot of trouble if they both fell all the way down into the bubbling Pool of Blood," Magellan said. "Aside from , Straw Hat and his comrades all have Devil Fruit powers. If they fell in there, they'd sink like stones."

Suddenly a guard came from behind the box Magellan was sitting in.

"Warden Magellan, sir! I have news to report! Straw Hat Luffy and White Wolf are already on Level 4!"

"WHAT?" Magellan shouted, looking through a door in the side of the box. "How can that be?"

"They must've fallen through the well-hole," said the guard.

"But the Pool of Blood is directly below it! How could they survive?"

"This is only a hunch, but maybe the rubble they fell served as a foothold and helped them get out before they could fall completely in!"

"And what's more…" said another guard.

"What else is there?" Magellan questioned as he poked his head out through a back window.

"I don't want this chair," Hannyabal murmured.

"Minotaurus fell with them! He's out cold!"

"What?" Sadie questioned. "How in the hell could Minotaurus been defeated?"

"Calm down!" Magellan ordered. "There only two ways stairways that can be used without security clearance. We're going to split into three groups. Hannyabal, you go and guard the stairway to Level 3, here. Miss Sadie, you take the Jailer Beasts and guard the one that leads to Level 5."

"Guard?" Sadie repeated. "Mmmm~, no way! I want to assault! I want assail! If I can't do that, then I have no reason to live, Warden!"

"If they do come my way, I'll let them escape, and then Magellan will take the fall," Hannyabal whispered.

"Are you not pleased with your orders?" Magellan asked.

He sighed, letting out some poisonous gas that choked Hannyabal, Sadie, and Minokoala.

"AH!" Sadie cried. "Don't sigh, mmmm~! Please, stop!"

"What did I do?" Hannyabal questioned.

"Capture them," said Magellan. "After that, you can do whatever with them."

"Ooh, wonderful~!" said Sadie. "I'd love that, mmmm~, very much!"

"As for the rest of you jailers, capture them dead or alive!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes! Mmmm~, but I'd prefer if they were at least a little alive."

* * *

Meanwhile, near the Pool of Blood, Luffy, Snare-Oh, Bon Clay, Buggy, and Mr. 3 had indeed escaped death thanks to the Thep Khufan's pile of bandages cushioning their fall, but were now standing on the hot stone floor above it and were jumping about, except for Bon Clay, who was joyously spinning around.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot!" Buggy cried. "What kind of a passageway is this? This heat's unbearable!"

"The air's so hot," Mr. 3 commented. "It's practically cooking my lungs!"

"We gotta…get outta here!" Luffy panted. "Which way do we go, now?"

"Jeez it's so hot. Feels like I'm sitting in an oven," Snare-Oh said as he turned back to normal.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Bon Clay laughed. "You four are all a bunch of wusses! You know the old saying: 'Clear your thoughts of all mundane thoughts and you will find the strength to put on women's clothes!'"

"Okay, where did THAT come from?" Ben questioned.

"Although, this place is a little hotter than Level 3, don't you think?" asked Bon Clay. "Yes, now that I think about it, it is a bit hot in here. I feel like I'm burning up just a bit." He stopped spinning and then started to scream. "IT'S WAY TOO HOT IN HERE!"

"YOU'RE JUST MAKING IT WORSE!" Luffy, Buggy, and Mr. 3 exclaimed, angrily.

Suddenly, Luffy looked to his right, and his nose twitched. Without warning, he suddenly ran off in that direction with Ben following close behind.

"This way!" he called. "Follow me!"

"Wait!" Buggy called. "Where are you going, Straw Hat?"

"IT'S TOO HOT IN HERE!" Bon Clay shouted.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Mr. 3 snapped.

"Wait a second," said Bon Clay. "If Straw Hat and Ben are going straight to the right, which means they're going to…THE KITCHEN!" He runs after him. "AND I'M STARVING!"

"Ooh!" Buggy chirped. "Good idea! I hope there's booze there, too!"

"No, Buggy, wait!" Mr. 3 said as he grabbed the clown pirate.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Ben were still running to the kitchen. This heat was quite strong, but Luffy's stomach proved to be stronger.

"It's HOT!" Luffy cried. "Hot, hot, HOT!" He sniffed the air. "Oh, man, but it smells so good!"

Up ahead, a group of guards were waiting for Luffy.

"Here they come! Straw Hat Luffy and the shapeshifter!"

"Get them!" The guards charged at the two Straw Hat Pirates, and Luffy was forced to brake to a stop.

"Ah, man! There's so many of them!" he said while panting. "Boy, this floor is a hell of a lot than Level 3."

In another flash of green light, Four Arms appeared as he rushed the guards knocking them around with little effort. Luffy looked at his transforming companion, then back at the remaining guards who started to surround him.

"What am I gonna do?" he questioned to himself. "If I wasn't so hungry, I'd send these bastards flying with a Gum-Gum Gatling, but my hands are full!"

Just then, Luffy seemed to get an idea.

"Maybe," he began, "…I won't have to punch these guys!"

The guards let out battle cries, holding their pitchforks in the air, preparing to apprehend both Luffy and Four Arms.

"Give it up!"

"There's nowhere for you to escape to!"

"Prepare yourselves!"

Luffy smirked before he jumped up into the air, above the guards.

"All right!" he said. "Chew on this! Gum-Gum…"

He started to kick and stretch his legs down at the guards in rapid-fire succession.

"STAMP GATLING!" Luffy began to pummel the guards with his furious feet, defeating every last one of them and sending them flying down into the flames below.

Four Arms couldn't help but smirk, proudly.

"There you go," he said as Luffy landed on the floor.

"C'mon, Ben," said Luffy. "Let's get going!"

Four Arms nodded before Luffy continued to run.

* * *

 _ **Back with Buggy and Mr. 3...**_

"Hey, come on, partner!" Buggy said. "What are you waiting for? You've gotta be starved, too, right?"

"Take a good look, you fool!" Mr. 3 retorted. "There are lots of guards, running around here, and they're well-organized! Level 4 is supposed to be filled with screams of agony, but nobody is feeding the fire and the inmates aren't attempting to escape! And look how many guards are moving around in formations! Something's definitely up, here!"

"So, what're you suggesting?" asked Buggy.

"We must check the exits, at once," Mr. 3 answered. "It looks like they were waiting for us! Right now, we're like rats in a trap!"

"But why in the hell would those damn guards be waiting for us down here?" Buggy questioned. "They're after Straw Hat and Ben, aren't they? We're only innocent pawns in all this!"

"Either way," Mr. 3 started, "they know we're on the loose. The thing I'm most afraid of…"

"Yeah?" Buggy questioned.

"The thing I'm most afraid," Mr. 3 continued, "is that in order to restore order, they've called in Impel Down's All-Star Team! The three Jailer Beasts are a given…but if the Warden, Magellan, is here, then that's it! Game over!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Luffy was still running to the kitchen, but his instincts told him to jump back, and quick, and that's what he did. Some weird, goopy, purple substance fell from the ceiling in front of Luffy.

"Whew!" Luffy sighed. "That startled me! I thought that was gonna be a spear or a sword or something! Wait, what the hell is that stuff? Jelly crap?"

"Something tells me that's not likely," Four Arms stated.

Suddenly, Bon Clay was heard gasping, "Straw Boy! Ben Boy!" he cried. "Above you! Watch out!"

Luffy and Four Arms looked up, and then jumped back when a huge shadow fell from the ceiling and dropped in front of Luffy and Ben. It was none other than Magellan!

"AAAAAAAAH!" Bon Clay screamed. "IT'S HIM! MAGELLAN!"

"Great, whose this guy supposed to be?" questioned Four Arms.

"Who the hell are you?" Luffy questioned.

"You…bastard criminal scumbags!" Magellan hissed.

* * *

 _ **AN: Next chapter is Ben and Luffy versus Magellan. So stayed tuned as the next chapter will come out sooner than you think.**_


	8. Magellan

_**AN: Here's the next chapter. Expect things to play out a little differently than they did in canon.**_

* * *

Bon Clay screamed in terror when he saw the new arrival. Four Arms had never seen him this frightened. Even the Minotaurus didn't scare him like this.

"You have been running around freely for far too long!" the man exclaimed as he glared at Luffy. He appeared to be sweating purple ooze from his face, making him look like he was made out of wax.

"M...Magellan!" Boy Clay screamed when he found his voice.

"What's up with that ooze coming out of his body? Is he a Devil Fruit user?" Four Arms asked.

"This is the end for you, persistent vermin," Magellan sneered as more ooze dripped from his face.

The reawakened jailers saw Magellan and made a run for it. They were screaming something about it being dangerous and being affected by poison.

"The Inferno floor sure is hot." Magellan said nonchalantly as he fanned his face.

"What the hell?" Luffy asked as he continued to watch Magellan sweat ooze. "And I almost got to where that nice smell was coming from too! I'm hungry, get out of the way!"

"You are quite high-spirited, but rest assured, soon there will be no need for you to eat anything ever again," Magellan said.

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked in annoyance.

"S...Straw Boy, Ben Boy, you guys can't fight him!" Bon Clay yelled as he regained his senses. "That's Magellan, the Warden of Impel Down! He got the power of the Poison Poison Fruit!"

Four Arms' eyes widened as he took in this information. "Poison!?"

"Run away. This guy's too much for you two to handle!" Boy Clay continued to scream.

"Poison Poison, so he's a poison man," Luffy said.

"That is right," Magellan said. "Strawhat Luffy, the rookie I hear that had caused trouble wherever he has gone, has opposed both the marines and the World Government, and has a three-hundred million bounty on his head. I never dreamed that man would break into the legendary, impenetrable prison. As the warden, this is a very disgraceful to me," Magellan went on as his temper rose. "I know what you and your shapeshifting ally have come for. You want to free your brother, the commander of Whitebeard's Second Division, Portgas D. Ace! However, it will be absolutely impossible for you to reach him, much less escape from Impel Down. Strawhat Luffy, your luck has run out."

Luffy growled at the warden.

"After capturing you, I will take my time with you to learn just how you managed to break in here," Magellan said.

Luffy narrowed his eyes, undoubtedly thinking about Boa and how she risked everything to sneak him in here. "I would die before telling you that!"

Magellan grinned at him, relishing the challenge. "Before we torture them, all prisoners say that. Then again, Strawhat, what you are about to experience is nothing as pleasant as mere torture."

"Straw Boy, Ben Boy, Magellan's entire body is poisonous!" Boy Clay yelled. "You'll be in huge trouble if you so much as touch him! Get back to the Cauldron of Blood where we were before and turn right!" Bon Clay yelled in a panic. "Straw Boy, give up on the food and let's make a run for Level 5!"

"That will not work!" Magellan yelled. "The stairway leading to Level 5 is guarded by a Head Jailor and three Demon Guards!"

Bon Clay's face said it all at that moment.

"We have also sealed off all escape routes on this floor!" Magellan continued. "No matter where you run, you cannot escape!"

"Noooo, no way!" Bon Clay screamed in a dramatic fashion.

Luffy and Four Arms knew at that moment that they had to fight. There was no other option.

Magellan's entire body turned purple as poison coated his body. "Hydra!" A dragon-shape formed in the poison and grew upwards until it towered over everyone.

"What is that!?" Luffy exclaimed. "Is all that poison!? A huge cluster of poison!?"

The Hydra attempted to 'eat' Luffy and Four Arms, but they jumped out of the way at the last moment.

"Gum Gum Pistol!" Luffy yelled as he attempted to punch the Hydra. Boy Clay intercepted the attack and took the blow before the punch could reach the Hydra.

"Straw Boy..." Bon Clay muttered in pain.

Luffy was taken off-guard and pulled his fist back. While Luffy was stunned, Bon Clay pulled him to safety before the Hydra could hit him.

"What are you doing, Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed.

"Like I said, it won't work!" Bon Clay shouted at Luffy as he shook him. "If you get soaked in it or even touch it, you're gone!"

"You can say that, but how am I supposed to fight without touching him!?" Luffy yelled back.

"Like I said, you can't fight him!" Bon Clay yelled.

"No way, I can't do anything here!" Luffy screamed in disbelief.

The Hydra lunged at Luffy and Bon Clay while they argued, but they both managed to dodge at the very last second. The cluster of poison left an explosion of smoke that temporally blinded the Strawhats.

When the smoke began to clear, the crew saw Luffy preparing to launch what looked like a Pistol.

"Gum Gum..." Luffy said, but his voice sounded wrong. It was his voice, but the pitch was higher than how he usually spoke, especially when preparing to launch an attack.

"Gum Gum..." 'Luffy' repeated. "Drag Queen Pistol!" He threw his fist. Naturally, it didn't stretched.

As the smoke from the poison cleared, Four Arms clearly saw it was Bon Clay impersonating Luffy with his powers.

Magellan was not amused as he stared at the transformed Okama.

There was a long silence among those present.

"Really..." Four Arms asked slowly. He wasn't sure what to think of this.

Bon Clay was far from done. He did a series of Luffy's most known attacks like his Galting, Scythe, and even some techniques he made up. It add even more weirdness, Bon Clay kept adding Drag Queen to all of his attacks. If they weren't about to be killed by the warden, most of the crew would be on the floor laughing.

"Now which one is the real Strawhat-chan!" Bon Clay in Luffy's form gloated as he spun around. He had a huge goofy grin on his face.

Luffy watched the entire things completely blanked face. He literally had no expression on his face. Either he was so bewildered that he couldn't form a reaction, or what was happening was so bizarre that he could only stand there and watch.

"I'm sure you're completely fooled now!" Bon Clay continued to gloat as he struck a pose.

"Very doubtful," Four Arms murmured.

Luffy slowly turned his head towards his friend. "Bon Clay, your jumpsuit."

Bon Clay turned towards Luffy and put his face so closed to his that they were touching noses. "I'll distract the Hydra. Take that chance to escape, Straw boy and Ben boy."

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. Either he didn't get the plan or thought it was so silly that he was shock that Bon Clay believed it would work.

Bon Clay stared to spin around again. "Look! Over here, Hydra-chan!"

The Hydra glared at Bon Clay like it was a living creature.

"Come on, come on! Oh, come on!" Bon Clay yelled.

"I told you it is useless. Do you not understand?" Magellan asked in annoyance as he created two more Hydra heads, making three in total.

Luffy, Four Arms, and Bon Clay made a run for it when they saw the extra Hydras. As the duo ran, they passed by some of the jailers who didn't manage to escape in time. They were hit by the Hydra and left screaming in agony as the poison soaked right into their skin.

"What's he doing to his own allies!?" Luffy yelled in horror.

"The Hydra is made of a paralyzing nerve poison!" Bon Clay yelled. "Excruciating pain spreads through your entire body and eventually kills you!"

Four Arms gritted his teeth, "Is he insane?!"

Magellan moved slowly towards Luffy, Four Arms, and Bon Clay, not even bothering with running. "Do not get in the way of my attack, you fools," he said pitilessly to the screaming jailers.

"I'm so hungry, I'm so hungry, I'm so hungry!" Luffy repeated like a chant as the Hydra continued to chase them across the passage.

"You still got an appetite even now!?" Bon Clay yelled in disbelief. "You're definitely not normal!"

"This coming from a cross-dresser," Four Arms muttered.

Luffy attempted to escape the Hydra by grabbing the one of the walls and swinging himself to the other side, passing all the flames. The fire melted the Hydra's head, but it also set Luffy's backside on fire. Luckily, the rubber captain was able to put off the flames before they did any real harm.

"I expect no less from Ace's brother. You've got talent," Magellan complimented. "However, this is as far as you go!" He shot a blue bubble at Luffy from his mouth. It looked kind of like bubblegum. "Chloro Ball!"

The area that Luffy was standing exploded, forcing him further up the wall. Within seconds, Luffy was assaulted by a bluish smoke that made his eyes water and he began to sneeze uncontrollably.

While Luffy was distracted, a Hydra head came at him. The Hydra, however, suddenly stopped before it reached Luffy. To everyone's surprise, Magellan flowed up the Hydra like it was an elevator and he shot himself out of the Hydra's mouth like a cannonball.

"It does not matter how hard you struggle, you will never leave this place!" Magellan yelled as he removed the horns from his head and ruthlessly attacked Luffy with them.

Luffy dodged, but his coordination was off because of the tear gas-like poison. His eyes were so watery that the memory itself was slightly blurred and things kept fading in and out for the Strawhats.

"If you think you can touch me, go ahead and try!" Magellan dared as he continued his relentless assault. His attacks were so powerful that he easily destroyed stone even without his poison.

Luffy sat on the floor, not sure what he should do. "If I touch him, I'm done for." He looked up and saw that Magellan had melted the wall where his arm was embedded. "He melted the stone wall!"

"You are next!" Magellan proclaimed.

Luffy forced himself to his feet as he wiped his eyes. The last effects of the Chloro Ball were finally fading. "I must save Ace..."

"In the end, you and your brother Ace will suffer the same fate!" Magellan yelled as he went back to attacking Luffy.

He destroyed the archway that Luffy was standing on, nearly making Luffy fall into the flames below. The rubberman saved himself by swinging to the other side using his ability, but the warden was on him in seconds. Luffy quickly used a Stomp to ricochet himself back to the main floor, giving him a much needed breather.

"You still have no intention of giving up?" Magellan asked as he approached the exhausted strawhat captain.

"I'll break Ace free and get out of here! There's no way I'm going to die before I get to him!" Luffy proclaimed as he caught his breath. He went into his Second Gear. "I won't let Ace be executed!"

"What is that steam?" Magellan asked, although he didn't sound overly concerned.

"If I'm doomed to lose because you're poisonous and I can't touch you, then I would rather touch you and give up my arms beating you!" Luffy yelled as he looked at his hands.

"If you do not want those arms, then I will grant your wish and take them," Magellan said as he held up his hands as he prepared for his attack.

"Not on my watch!" a voice screamed as Magellan was enveloped in a torrent of flame, causing him to scream in agony as the heat melted his poison. He obviously wasn't expecting to actually be injured today.

The two Devil Fruit users turned to see a being made of literal fire and magma covered by dark red or brown rocks plus he also sported two miniature volcanoes on his shoulders.

"Let's see you try and poison someone made of living fire!" Heatblast exclaimed as he readied another fire blast.

"Ben! You really hurt him!" Luffy shouted.

"Yeah, you need to get out of here as soon as you can Luffy. You can't save your brother if you get poisoned to death!"

"Then what about you? I can't just abandon one of my nakama!"

"I can take care of myself besides, I seem to be the only one who can even touch Magellan right now."

Magellan glared at Heatblast with hatred, "To think you could actually bypass my poison and injure me." He stood up and stared with dispassionate eyes at at the Pyronite, "No matter, there is no escape for either for you," Magellan said. "I'll make sure of that."

Luffy and Heatblast glared at the warden, the duo still not willing to give up.

"Poison Puff Fish!" Magellan yelled as he blew poison bubbles at his opponents.

Luffy evaded the bubbles with his Gear Second while Heatblast countered the poison with his fireballs.

Luffy attempted to take Magellan's back and hit him with a Jet Pistol. Magellan saw the attack coming and created another Hydra. Undaunted, Luffy punched the Hydra. This only caused more poison to spread over his body, weakening him further. He became so weakened that he lost his Second Gear.

"Luffy!" Heatblast exclaimed in alarm.

"It didn't work..." Luffy muttered as he fought to stay on his feet.

Without any warning, Magellan began to release a poison purple fog from his mouth, covering the entire area.

Before Luffy knew to hold his breath, he started to cough and gag as he breathed in the poisonous gas. He grabbed his chest as he felt his lungs burn with each breath he took.

"It is pointless," Magellan said as he watched Luffy attempt to fight the poison fog. "This poison is a part of me. It is a living being!"

Luffy was soon having problems breathing as he coughed up blood and his vision hazed even more.

"Are your eyes getting blurry?" Magellan asked nonchalantly, although he already knew the answer. The warden's figure was blurry and wavy like Luffy wasn't really seeing him. "Are your ears ringing?"

Luffy jumped into the air and used a Gum Gum Balloon to blow the fog away. It was far too late. The gas had done its damage and Luffy was left heaving on the floor as more blood came gushing out of his mouth while Heatblast remained unaffected due to his body composition.

"I am telling you that it is pointless! Do you not get it?" Magellan asked in frustration. He easily made the poison fog reappear. "No matter how hard you struggle there is no escape for you both. The poison will take everything from you before long."

As if to prove his point, Luffy collapsed onto the floor as he coughed, gagged, and trembled violently.

When Magellan cleared the fog for good, Luffy somehow managed to get to his feet, although it was clear that he wasn't in a completely lucid state. His eyes were bloodshot and dilated and he was shaking so badly that he could barely stand. His skin was also deathly pale and he had a tinge of gray on his lips.

"You do not know when to quit," Magellan stated in annoyance. "Do you really want to save your brother that badly?"

Luffy said nothing as he fell several times. He banged his head into the floor in an attempt to wake his senses. It seemed to work a little since the memory cleared a little and he was finally able to stand without immediately falling.

"It would be easier for you to just lie down and close your eyes," Magellan said.

Luffy made another charge at Magellan. "Gum Gum Pistol!"

The attack was slow, sloppy, and Magellan put no effort in avoiding it. He ruthlessly grabbed the stretched arm and slammed Luffy into the floor. Luffy forced himself to stand up and faced Magellan as he coughed up more blood.

"You stupid fool," Magellan growled. "Why would you go this far? Portage D. Ace is a felon sentence to death and you are an intruder trying to rescue him! I will not forgive any sin! Ace's fated death at Marineford has long since been set in stone! There is nothing you can do about it."

Heatblast grimaced at Magellan's words. Even if Luffy's brother was a so-called criminal, from what he heard of him, Ace sounded like a cool guy, one who didn't deserve to get the death penalty.

The mention of Ace's death gave Luffy the strength needed to attack Magellan again, but his vision was so skewed that he completely missed the warden and hit a wall. Luffy attempted several more attacks, all which missed. Magellan didn't even have to move.

"You are only hurting yourself," Magellan said casually before suddenly yelling out a cry of agony as Heatblast slammed into him like a rocket by discharging a torrent of fire from the soles of his feet.

"Damn you! Hydra!" Magellan yelled a he created several poison Hydras. But Heatblast simply launched a few more fireballs which easily melted the Hydras into a pile of silly putty.

"I-impossible," Magellan blurted out in disbelief. Just who was this creature? Surely the World Government would have heard of such a powerful being. For the first time in his life, Magellan felt fear.

"I think it's about time we wrap this up," Heatblast, _"Luffy needs medical attention, stat!"_

Heatblast shot forward, his fist smashing into Magellan's chest like a bolt of lightning, fire burning away every drop of poison that touched him. Back into the other side of the Inferno, the warden and alien flew, smashing down into the stone floor. The Pyronite kept the initiative however, fists hammering down faster than the eye could see until the massive horned man no longer moved.

The poison covered Luffy like an acid that was slowly melting him. His eyes were wide open, and his pupils were completely white. His mouth was also opened in a silent scream. Luffy made noises like he wanted to scream in agony, but nothing came out except weak gasping noises that sounded like a dying animal.

Heatblast gasped when he saw the state Luffy was in.

"Oh God, Luffy!" Heatblast said as he stood over the fallen pirate. "We need to find you an antidote right now!"

"Ace..." Luffy stuttered through his dying lips, before blacking out.

Lowering the heat on his upper body immensely, Heatblast carried Luffy to avoid burning him. He then blasted fire from his feet to propel them both upwards as the duo made their journey into Level 5 of the prison.

* * *

"Warden Magellan, what happened?! Who did this to you?!" one of the jailers said frantically. "What about Strawhat Luffy?"

"It was the shapeshifter," Magellan growled as his battle with the Pyronite left him with covered in serious burns and singed clothing. "I underestimated his capabilities and now he and Strawhat are heading to Level 5. But It's only a matter of time before Strawhat dies from the poison."

A guard panted as he ran up to Magellan from behind, "W-Warden Magellan! There seems to have been a botched escape attempt in the passage to Level 3!"

"What?" Magellan questioned. "What happened?"

"We're not exactly sure, yet!"

* * *

Moments later, in a prison cell located in a huge, frozen tundra…

"Hey! Hey! You okay?"

"There's no point in trying to wake him. He's long dead."

There was a prisoner inside one of the cells…frozen solid in a sitting position…dead as a doornail.

"So…is he really dead? Or is he preserved for the future?"

"Ha-ha! Don't talk stupid!"

In another cell, a prisoner was standing up, when suddenly, something fell onto the frozen, icy cold floor. It was his finger, dark purple and glazed with ice.

"Ah, crap!" the inmate cursed. "Would ya look at that? My finger fell off!"

The fellow inmate laughed at his expense, "You've got frostbite!" he said. "You're doomed!"

Another inmate was trying to eat a bite of bread, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. The bread was as hard as a rock, "DAMN IT ALL!" he cursed as he tossed the bread out through the bar. "This is ridiculous! This bread is too freaking frozen to eat!"

This place was Level 5, the Frozen Hell, the location where Luffy and Ben were trying to get to.

Ace certainly wasn't here.

"Hey!" said one of the prisoners. "Check it out! New guy!"

"And he's got some weird looking orange dog, with him, too."

Wildmutt walked through the Frozen Hell, and being dragged along behind him was Luffy, still poisoned and lying in a sled that Ben was able to find. Wildmutt growled at this dilemma, hoping to escape with Luffy and find the antidote, but there seemed to be no exit in sight.

If he wasn't so worried about Luffy, right now, he would just use Big Chill and use his intangibility to attempt to escape and find an antidote for the poison.

"Hey! Kid! What's your name?" asked one of the inmates.

"How much was your bounty, newcomer?" asked another.

"Did that monster have a bounty, too?" questioned one more.

"Oh, wait," said another inmate. "Look at the kid. He's definitely a goner. He's gotten himself the Poison Punishment. No one's ever survived it. I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard."

Wildmutt just ignored them as he trudged on. A few minutes pass when the Omnitrix wielder suddenly heard crunching in the snow.

Ben turned to see Bon Clay approaching the cell. He was out of his prison uniform and was dressed as the vice-warden. At least, what was left of the vice-warden's outfit. It looked like it had been torn apart by wolves or another savage animal. He was also half frozen, which wasn't surprising since he was walking around with no shirt.

"Strawhat, Ben Boy...I've come to save you!" Bon Clay yelled as he held up a couple of vials. "In the name of our friendship!"

* * *

 _ **AN: I apologize if this chapter is short. But it's been a while since I last updated considering I've been busy with college the whole time. So about this chapter, Luffy is still poisoned, but not to the point that he was beyond saving like in canon, but that's doesn't mean his life still in danger. I hope you guys enjoyed the Ben vs Magellan fight too as there was no way Magellan could poison a being made of fire and that Heatblast is a lot more powerful here considering this Ben 10,000**_ _ **. On another note, to those people who have just started reading this story, I have another Ben 10 fic that I'm working on right now that could use more support. That being said, I promise the next chapter won't take as long to finish this time and J'll see you all later.**_


	9. Knocking on Death's Door

Ben who had now switched into Diamondhead was surprised that Bon Clay came back for them. He could have escaped if he did manage to impersonate the vice-warden. Instead, he chose to return and save him and Luffy. Although, Ben didn't know how helpful he would be given the situation.

"Earlier, I was...I'm sorry that I ran!" Bon Clay cried, truly remorseful.

Luffy forced his head up and stared at Bon Clay with dazed, unfocused eyes. He clearly wasn't all there and didn't seem to immediately recognize Bon Clay.

"How do you know this guy?" one of the prisoners asked.

"I'm their friend!" Bon Clay proclaimed. "Straw Boy, I won't let you die!" He walked up to Diamondhead and knelt before Luffy's semi-conscious form. His eyes watered when he saw how fast Luffy was fading. "We better go!"

"Not that I don't appreciate this, but what can you do?" Diamondhead said as he stared at Luffy's trembling form. "You're not exactly a doctor."

"I have the antidote, but I don't know if it'll be enough."

"Well, it's better than nothing I guess."

Once Luffy was safely loaded onto the sleigh, Ben and Bon Clay asked the other prisoners in the cell where Iva was. None of them, unfortunately, knew and didn't really care.

With no leads, Diamondhead and Bon Clay marched across the winter wasteland, searching for anyone who knew where Iva was.

After nearly an hour of aimlessly wondering, Bon Clay finally found a clue about Iva's whereabouts. There was a forest on this level where an abandoned jailer's room laid. Iva could have been there. Without a moment of hesitation, Bon Clay made his way into the forest.

"Why is there a forest down here anyway?" Diamondhead asked, "Did they really want to mimic winter that badly?"

"I guess it makes this place more real," Bon Clay said.

Ben didn't like how pale Luffy now looked. His breathing was also more labored and it sounded like his lungs were filled with liquid, most likely his own blood.

As Bon Clay dragged Luffy through the forest wolves attacked them. These wolves were so vicious that not even Bon Clay could handle them. They attacked from all angles and ruthlessly bit the Okama all over his body. While Diamondhead fired many crystal shards from his hands that took down many wolves and summoned numerous crystal pillars to knock the wolves back.

"Darn it, he's about to be killed!" The Petrosapien yelled.

Some of the wolves attempted to attack Luffy, but Bon Clay wouldn't allow it. He constantly jumped in the way of any wolf that went after the dying man and took even more damage.

"Bon Clay!" Ben screamed in horror as he watched his friend slowly being ripped to shreds.

To Ben's surprise, Luffy got up from the sleigh and bit one of the wolves on the back, causing it to scream in pain. Apparently, this also shocked the other wolves since they stopped attacking Bon Clay and stared at Luffy.

"Straw-chan!" Bon Clay exclaimed in shock.

"What do you think you're doing...to Ben and Bon Clay?" Luffy whispered in a hushed voice. "Leave them alone!" he screamed to the top of his lungs as he released a wave of Haki, knocking all of the wolves unconscious.

 _"It's that pressure again,"_ Ben thought, _'But to have that much strength left after being so close to death. Does Luffy even realize what kind of power he has?'_

Releasing his Haki took the remainder of Luffy's strength and he immediately passed out onto the snow as Bon Clay soon fell unconscious as well.

"Great," Diamondhead groaned, "Now what?"

Before Ben could carry the two on his back, he heard the sound of snow crunching beneath footsteps.

"Who's there?!" Diamondhead shouted as his hand formed into a large blade.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere appeared a man wearing a coat that was orange on one side and white on the other. Same went with his hair and his sunglasses. On top of his forehead, their appeared to be a lightning bolt shaped scar that covered his right eye. His jaw was rectangular, and he appeared to be holding a glass of wine in his left hand while keeping his right hand out and flat beside him.

It was then that Ben finally passed out from exhaustion from using too many transformations throughout the day.

Whoever this man was, he just might've been Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay's savior.

However…only twenty six hours remained until Ace's public execution.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile, in Magellan's office…_**

Some rather unpleasant sounds could be heard, as well as the sound of groaning.

"Ooh~!" Magellan groaned. "GAAH! I used way too much poison!"

* * *

On Level 2, the riot had finally been quieted down and the prisoners had been rounded up back into their cells by the Blugori and Saldeath.

"Well, the prisoners are back in their cells," reported Saldeath into the Transponder Snail before he held up a ring of keys. "But some of the keys appear to be missing, still. This is going to be quite a pain."

* * *

 ** _On Level 3..._**

"They cannot hope to elude us!" Sadie declared as she held up Bon Clay's wanted poster. "Now hurry! Capture those fools alive! They have to be somewhere on this, mmmm, floor~!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the guards yelled as they and the Jailer Beasts hurried off to find the prisoners and intruders in question.

* * *

Some time later, a door opened, and a bandaged up Bon Clay awoke to a bright light.

 _What?_ Bon Clay thought, questioningly as he shielded his eyes. _W-what's this? A light? Could it be? Am I…in heaven?_

As Bon Clay walked further, he started to hear the sound of chatter, as well as music, and the light became brighter as he walked through the door. He let out a gasp of shock.

There, before his very eyes, lay a world that seemed unbelievable.

There are disco balls and bright, lively colors, everywhere, as well as…men and women, dressed in rather peculiar clothes. The men seemed to be wearing revealing clothing, complete with women's stockings and make up, and the women seemed comfortable with that.

"Huh?" Bon Clay muttered in disbelief.

"Hey!" said one of the men. "So, you finally decided to wake up, eh, brother?"

"You were out for quite a long time," said another. "Why don't you come over and drink with us?"

"Welcome, friend, to New Kama!"

"Hey, we saw you on the monitor! Watching you and your friends on the run was a real great show!"

Bon Clay is speechless. He was surrounded by all these people who seemed to be a bunch of…dare he say, weirdos. It was much different from when he was in prison.

"W…where am I?" Bon Clay asked himself as a woman approached him.

"Please, come have a seat," she told him with a smile. "Which floor did you come from?"

"What is this place?" Bon Clay kept asking. "Where are Straw Hat and Ben Boy?"

"Do you remember when you first broke out?" asked one of the girls.

"And in case you're wondering, yes, you're still in Impel Down," said another.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Bon Clay shouted as he began to pirouette. "You people are wearing nice clothes, and eating delicious food, and drinking booze! Can it be? Is this _Paradise?_ No…it can't be! Let's see, now…Ben Boy and I were being attacked by a pack of wolves…and then…Straw Hat used some strange power to save us…and then we passed out, one-by-one! Am I dreaming? Or perhaps I died of hypothermia. Could it be that I've passed into the afterlife?"

"Oh. I see you've woken up, finally. You've been sleeping for quite a while. About ten hours or so."

"What?" Bon Clay questioned as he turned to the figure behind him. "T-ten hours? Just what are you talking about? And who are you?"

"How rude!" said the figure.

It turned out that it was woman…who looked somewhat like the man who came out and found Bon Clay, Luffy, and Ben out in the cold in first place. She even had the same scar on her and glass of wine in her left hand!

"I am Inazuma," said the woman. "If I hadn't found you and your friends out there in the cold when I did, all three of you would've frozen to death!"

"My friends?" Bon Clay questioned. "Then that means that Straw Hat and Ben Boy are here, too? Where are they? Are they all right? Are you people guards? Where am I?"

"Calm down," said Inazuma. "I'll let _him_ explain everything."

"Hey, everybody! Lights out!"

"It's time for the big show!"

Suddenly, the lights shut off.

"Huh?" Bon Clay muttered. "W-what's going on?"

"Come," said Inazuma. "Let's get a front row seat."

Everyone gathered to sit in front of a stage. There, they saw a mysterious figure, standing in the spotlight with his back facing the audience, swishing his hips from side-to-side. He appeared to be holding a microphone in his hand.

"Did you sleep well, candy boy? Or should I call you…Mr. 2 Bon Boy?" the figure asked.

"What?" Bon Clay questioned. "You know my name…but how?"

"I'm glad that you could it make it here," the figure continued. "To get to this place, you'd have to go through the sewers of Impel Down. You travel paths that don't exist…and you arrive here, at the Prisoners'…Paradise!"

One of the candy girls strummed on a guitar.

"Mm-hmm-hmm…" the figure chuckled in his throat. "Enjoy yourselves. Here, we have food, we have weapons, we have games, but above all those, we have FREEDOM!"

The audience broke into cheers at that proclamation.

"Mmmm…" the figure hummed. "You see, all the guards are confused. Sometimes, prisoners will disappear. they think that they have all been dragged down to the pits of Hell, but in reality…everyone single one of them…is right here!"

He held up the microphone stand above his head.

"Mm-hmm," he chuckled. "Is this place Hell, you ask? Ha-ha…maybe, it's Queen Hell! It is an underground world that nobody but us knows about! Welcome."

The lights came flashing back on, and the figure on stage turned to reveal himself. He was a large man that seemed to stand at last 10 feet tall. Maybe even a little taller. He has an unusually large head, sports an afro of lavender hair, and rather long eyelashes. He also has an oddly-shaped chin that resembled an arrowhead. He also had a Jolly Roger tattooed just below his chest. The Jolly Roger looked like a skull with two arrow-headed swords behind it that curve to resemble swords. However, if one were to look closely, they may also both the male and female sex symbols twice on it. The female symbols consisted of the eye sockets and the swords' hilts, while the male sex symbols consisted of the eyes sockets and the arrow-shaped sword blades. He was dressed in reddish purple women's garments and he appears to be wearing heavy makeup. He also has on both a queen's crown with a king's crown on top of it. His hairstyle, make up, necklace, and fishnet stockings and cape are the very things that just are commonly associated with a stereotypical depiction of a drag queen.

As soon as this mysterious person turned to face the audience, other candy boys joined him on the stage as he bit the microphone stand in half.

"This is Impel Down's Level 5.5- The Prisoners' Secret Garden of Eden!" the cross-dresser declared. "This is New Kama Land! WOO-HOO!"

"What?" Bon Clay questioned. "Who are all these weirdos?"

"Yeah~!"

"All hail the great Lord Iva~!"

"W-what?" Bon Clay gasped. "Iva? Did you say Iva?"

It is indeed the very person that the swan has been looking for: Emporio Ivankov, the missing "Queen" of the Peachy Kingdom.

Suddenly, Ivankov began to wobble and shake.

"Oh, dear," he said. "I'm afraid that I got a bit overexcited. Now…my anemia…it is…it is…"

"Oh, no! Lord Iva, are you all right?"

"My anemia…" he then turned to face the audience as if nothing was wrong with him at all, "is not bothering me, one bit!"

The crowd cheered.

"So you're all right, after all?"

"You sure had us fooled, Lord Iva!"

"Mm-hmm," Ivankov laughed in his throat. "Welcome, Bon Boy! Welcome to my New Kama Land! WOO-HOO! Ha-ha-ha!"

Bon Clay gaped. He was staring his idol right in the face! It was like a dream come true!

"Are…are you honest and truly THE Iva?" he asked.

"Oh?" Ivankov mused. "So you've heard of me, have you?"

"Hey, pal!" said one of the candy girls. "You'd better show Lord Iva some respect!"

"Yeah!" agreed one of the candy boys. "He runs this place!"

"Now all of you candy boys and girls, shut your traps!" Ivankov orders. "Forget about all these manners and protocol! People can say and talk to me however they please! Why, they could even call me 'crap' if they wanted!"

A pause came.

"BUT THEY HAD BETTER NOT IF THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR THEM!" Ivankov shouted.

"So we can't call you crap, after all?"

"You fooled us, again, Lord Iva!"

"So this person…is Iva?" Bon Clay murmured. "He's the miracle worker? My idol?"

The door suddenly opened, "EMPORIO IVANKOV!"

Everyone looked up to see a bulky, muscular man with blond pants and a pair of camouflage-patterned pants. He had a scar on his left shoulder that went down to his chest. Under his shoulder, he seemed to be carrying a bazooka.

"You used to be the Queen of the Peachy Queendom!" he shouted. "Fifteen years ago, my beloved father was a great king! But then, he visited the Peachy Queendom, and then came back a woman! His kingdom and our family fell apart! I used to be a great prince, but because of what you've done, I've been reduced to a damn, no-account pirate! I never expected to find my sworn enemy here in this living Hell, but now, you're PAY for ruining my life!"

The candy boys and girls looked like they were ready to roll up their sleeves and give the intruder a lynching, but Ivankov seemed less than ready. In fact, he looked downright terrified!

"Oh, no, no, no!" Ivankov cried. "Please, wait! Look at the size of that gun! It's dangerous, you know! So very, very dangerous! If you shoot me with that, I could die! I…I…" he then flashed a pose. "I WILL NOT DIE!"

"You won't?" asked the crowd.

"You got us, again, Lord Iva!"

The man fired his bazooka at Ivankov, who turned to face the incoming bullet. His eyes went wide and slight bloodshot.

"Death…"

Just when the bullet was mere inches away from Ivankov's face…

"WINK!"

Ivankov winked his eye at the bullet, and created a massive blast of air pressure that ended up repelling the shot back to the man.

"AAAAAAH!" the man screamed.

"There it is!" said one of the candy boys. "It's Lord Iva's famous wink! The Death Wink!"

"Mm-hmm-hmm~!" Ivankov chuckled in his throat.

"He pushed back a bazooka shot with a wink?" Bon Clay questioned.

As the smoke from the resulting explosion, the man, who survived the resulting blast, found himself face-to-face against Ivankov, who wore a rather evil-looking grin on his face. Then, his fingertips grew pointed, like needles.

"Emporio…ESTROGEN!"

Ivankov stabbed his fingers into the man's breast, making him scream in pain, and the moment Ivankov pulled out his fingers, his body started to undergo a dramatic change.

His beard shrank back into his chin, and his muscles began to shrink, as well as his height.

"W-what the hell…?" the man questioned. "No…don't tell me you…!"

"Your father wanted to become a woman," Ivankov stated. "Deal with it!"

The man tried to in vain to stop his transformation as his arms started to shrivel, using one arm to cover his growing chest and the other hand to keep his pants from his slipping off his waist.

"Two mothers and one daughter?" Ivankov mused. "That is just fine, too! Just deal with it!"

By this time, the transformation was complete. The bazooka-toting man…has changed into a woman!

"AAAAH!" she screamed as tears began to form in her eyes. "This…this is…" she turned and ran out the door, "SO EMBARRASSING!"

The candy boys and girls laughed at him as he ran and cheered for their ruler.

"WOO-HOO!" Ivankov cheered. "Don't be shy! You still have a long way to go as a New Kama! A new HUMAN!"

Bon Clay was left shocked.

"He…he turned that man into a woman!" he said. "It's true! He really can work miracles! It's him! It's REALLY him!"

"Man or woman or both," Ivankov starts, "be whatever you want to be, here! I have already broken the borders of gender! Why, we all have! We have already gone far beyond it! We are the new humans- the New Kama!"

The crowd broke into a wave of cheers.

"And this place," Ivankov began, "is our Garden of Eden, New Kama Land!"

Bon Clay suddenly fell to his hands and knees, bowing before Ivankov.

"Emporio Ivankov!" he cried. "The miracle worker! I am humbled to be in your presence, O great King of Queens! I am overjoyed, but…perhaps it's not polite of me to ask something of you when we have just met, like this, but there is someone I want you to save! My dear friend is suffering from Magellan's deadly poisons! If you save him, then I will do anything you want for the rest of my life! Oh, please! Please, save him!"

"Are you talking about that boy with the straw hat?" asked Ivankov. "The one who was traveling with that man who can transform into different monsters?"

Bon Clay gasped. How did he know?

"We are outlaws," Ivankov stated. "When we see someone who is injured…we don't automatically come to his aid. We are not that goodhearted! Do you know why we tended yours and the shapeshifter's wounds? It is because the boy whose life you plead for so passionately begged us to!"

"What?" Bon Clay questioned. "Straw Hat…he…?"

* * *

 _Flashback, 10 hours ago..._

 _Inazuma had brought a dying Luffy, Ben, and Bon Clay to Ivankov, who stood before their motionless forms with arms crossed. However, only Luffy seemed to have enough strength to attempt sitting up. He wheezed and coughed, but not before he managed to speak._

 _"B…Bon Clay…and Ben…" he stammered. "They were trying to protect me from this pack of wolves. They saved my life…so you have to save them! Please…they're my friends!"_

 _Ivankov's eyes went wide._

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"It is quite rare to see a man on the verge of death worry about someone else's life instead of his own," Ivankov stated. "I had no idea the flower of friendship could bloom in such a place like this…but after hearing that, then I would have to be the lowest person in the world not to do something! I started Straw Hat Boy's treatment ten hours ago!"

"You…you did?" Bon Clay asked, smiled.

"The treatment is quite rough," said Ivankov, "So I had to lock him away in the cave back there. It's a good thing he wasn't poisoned that much or the antidote wouldn't have worked anymore. I give it about two more days until he's fully recovered."

"I don't think we can afford to wait that long, considering that we _are_ on a time table here," A familiar voice stated as Ben walked in looking none the worse for wear.

"Ben Boy, you're okay!" Bon Clay exclaimed, happy that at least one of his friends was in good health.

"Yeah, though to be honest the last thing I expected was being saved by a bunch of cross dressers," Ben stated a bit weirded out by what's been happening since he woke up.

* * *

Moments later, while everyone is still partying away, Ivankov sat down to a meal and had explained his Devil Fruit ability to Ben and Bon Clay: the power of the Horm-Horm Fruit. It allowed him to freely manipulate one's hormones at will. Gender, body, temperature, skin pigmentation, growth, excitement, etc. By changing his fingers into syringes, he can alter the body who can alter people from the inside-out. After hearing that, the Omnitrix wielder could not safely say that he has now seen everything.

"Anyway," Ivankov said as he drank a barrelful of grog, "you smell like a New Kama, but the candy boys and girls that live here have all transcended gender completely. The men become women, and the women become men. That is the kind of miracles we do here! Mm-hmm-hmm~! Miraculous!"

"Phew!" the New Kama candy boys sighed.

"Now I understand!" Bon Clay said. "So you used hormones to change that man into a woman! GAH~!" He groaned and grasped his head. "The more I look at this place, the less it seems like a prison! This has to be a dream!"

"It's not a dream!" Ivankov shouted. "It's a place of dreams!"

"As freaky as that sounds," Ben muttered.

"The candy kids here were all originally prisoners who were thought to be lost," Ivankov explained. "They stumbled onto this place by blind luck, but there are actually entrances to this place all over the prison. Among the bloody spikes of the Crimson Hell, in the den of the Beast Hell, in the blazing fire of the Inferno Hell, even in the morgue. And now, we use those paths to get supplies and provisions. The guards don't even notice! They can't imagine that a paradise like this could ever exist in this so-called 'Hell' of theirs! But we know that's going on in the outside world. We have Transponder Snails, too, you know! We knew everything that happens in the prison and the steal newspapers out of the garbage. I must admit, it was quite thrilling to watch you, Ben Boy, and Straw Hat Boy on the run! We all enjoyed your little show!"

"So, where is this place?" Bon Clay asked. "Who built it?"

"Oh, this was not always here," Ivankov replied. "You see, a long time ago, one of the prisoners had a Devil Fruit ability that was good for digging tunnels. That candy boy and his followers created this paradise for prisoners. Impel Down is like a giant ant colony built inside a really big rock. This place is located somewhere between Level 5 and Level 6."

"W-wait, WHAT?" Bon Clay questioned. "Level 6? There's a LEVEL 6?"

"Mm-hmm-hmm!" Ivankov chuckled. "I guess it's not widely known. It's where they keep the most dangerous criminals in the world! They have all been sentenced to life or execution! Level 6; they call it the 'Infinite Hell'! The prisoners that stay there committed deeds so heinous that the World Government has erased their existence! The Government is always doing that to the people they find 'inconvenient'. For example, you guys managed to fight your down to Level 4, but that would not have been possible a little while back. That is because there was once another powerful person that patrolled here: the head jailer."

Bon Clay gasped while Ben narrowed his eyes.

"They called him 'Shiryu of the Rain'," said Ivankov. "He was just as powerful as Warden Magellan, himself! Considering Warden Magellan's relative lack of experience, Shiryu may have been more deadly than he was!"

"More deadly than Magellan?" Bon Clay asked in disbelief.

"Their duel force was what Impel Down its formidable reputation," Ivankov said.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _Somewhere on one of the prison's levels, the inmates were being slaughtered one-by-one by a mysterious figure who was smoking a cigar and wielding a blood-spattered blade. Magellan appeared to face the man responsible._

 _"Shiryu!" Magellan roared. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you think this place is a slaughterhouse? The prisoners are not meant to satisfy your thirst for blood!"_

 _Shiryu, his face still in shadows, turned to face Magellan with a smug grin._

 _"Who's going to complain," he began, "If I just clean up a little human garbage?"_

 _Magellan glared venomously at Shiryu, and then…_

 _The sound of a cell door slamming was heard, presumably locking Shiryu away…perhaps forever._

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"So even the warden's got standards," Ben said, "Who knew?"

"He killed prisoners on a whim," said Ivankov. "Something had to be done about it, so they imprisoned him on Level 6 because he was so violent and dangerous."

"I never heard about that, before!" Bon Clay exclaimed. "It must've happened long before I got here."

"Only the worst of prisoners go there," said Ivankov. "The Pirate Catalina Devon, 'Great Battleship' San Juan Wolf, and Vasco Shot. These are feared pirates who once shook the world!"

He then bit down and tore a huge chunk of meat off of a turkey leg, "But their most brutal crimes never made it into the newspapers," he continued with a mouthful. "Those are the kind of legendary pirates who are imprisoned on Level 6! Your old boss is there, too. He's a bit crazy, as well…in his own way."

Bon Clay gasped.

So the former Warlord, Crocodile, otherwise known as Mr. 0 of Baroque Works, is here, too?

"Wasn't it true that you and Straw Hat Boy fought on opposite sides in Alabasta?' Ivankov asked. "You two have a very interesting- if not, strange- relationship."

"Politics doesn't matter when it comes to friendship!" Bon Clay declared as he struck his signature pose.

Ivankov laughed.

"I guess not," he said, "And another one of the Seven Warlords is there, too: Jimbei, 'Knight of the Sea'."

"What?" Bon Clay questioned.

"As well as that man that Straw Hat Boy and Ben Boy here are looking for," Ivankov said. "Portgas D. Ace, the Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division! I heard on the prison's communication system that those two are brothers."

"That's right!" Bon Clay replied. "Straw Hat and Ben Boy are here to rescue Ace from execution!"

"Mm-hmm-hmm~!" Ivankov chortled. "Just sneaking into this place is an impressive feat, but unfortunately for Straw Hat Boy, there is nothing he can do to save Ace Boy."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Ben questioned as he raised an eyebrow.

Ivankov started to drink down a barrel of grog that is being held by one of the candy girls while dripping dressing on his salad.

"What I mean is that I understand that he is his big brother," Ivankov continued as he eats and drinks, "but Straw Hat Boy needs to start worrying about himself, not Ace Boy! Besides, it's already past midnight, and Ace Boy's going to be executed tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon. They'll be transporting him to Marine Headquarters in the morning."

Up on a wall, the clock says 1 o'clock.

"That means that Ace Boy will be removed from Impel Down in seven or eight hours," said Ivankov, munching on his salad. "Straw Hat Boy's detoxification treatment will take at least two more days After that, he'll need to sleep for about three days to fully recover his strength. By the time he wakes up…well, it'll all be over with."

"I won't accept that, Ace is Luffy's family for crying out loud!" Ben shouted, slamming his hands on the table.

"The odds are completely against him!" Ivankov answered. "It will be a miracle if he does manage to recover in time! Didn't I tell you this, already?"

Ben gritted his teeth as his fists clenched while Bon Clay sniffled as tears began to dribble down his face and his nose starts to run.

It appeared that it was all up to Luffy.

"You two should rest, too," Ivankov said, munching on a watermelon, seeds, rind, and all. "You both need to eat something nutritious and then get plenty of sleep. Come. I shall take you to a room where you won't have to hear all this noise."

"No!" Bon Clay barked. "I…I want to be with Straw Hat!"

With that, Bon Clay turned and left to head to the cave where Luffy was staying.

"I'm going too, I can't just stand here while one of my friends is in pain!" Ben exclaimed as he ran after Bon Clay.

Ivankov just silently wiped his lips with a napkin.

* * *

 _ **On Level 3...**_

"THEY'RE ONLY TWO MEN! WHY CAN'T YOU FIND THEM?"

Sadie whipped Minozebra, Minokoala, and Minorhinoceros in the back of their heads, causing them to recoil in fear.

* * *

"You can do it, Straw Hat!" Bon Clay cheered. "You can do it!"

"Come on, Luffy! You can do this!"

"Don't give up!"

Ben and Bon Clay both still cheered Luffy on, but this time, he wasn't the only one. The New Kamas started to join in, too!

"C'mon, Straw Hat!" shouted a candy boy.

"Don't give up!" cried a candy girl.

"You can do it!" Bon Clay cheered.

As this went on, three hours pass.

* * *

In Magellan's office, one of the jailers enter.

"Warden Magellan, sir!" he said. "I've come with a report!"

"Hmm?" Magellan hummed, questioningly.

"'Straw Hat' Luffy and the shapeshifter," the jailer began, "have both disappeared!"

"What?" Magellan questioned.

* * *

On Level 4, another jailer walks in, but once he did, he sees Hannyabal, still suspended above the floor by Bon Clay!

"V-Vice Warden?" the jailer questioned. "What in the world are you doing up there?"

"MM HMMFF MMMMMPH! (GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!)" Hannyabal shouted, his voice muffled.

* * *

"YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT!"

Bon Clay and the New Kamas continued to cheer for Luffy as he kept screaming, and by this time, even Ivankov had joined them!

 _"Don't you dare give up on me, Luffy!"_ Ben screamed in his head.

Seven hours go by as they continued their cheers.

* * *

 _ **Down in Level 6, in Ace and Jinbei's cell…**_

"I don't know what Hancock was up to, Ace," said Jinbei, "but, you know, she may not have been telling you the truth?"

"You think that that bitch came all the way down here to lie to me?" Ace barked, taking Jinbei by surprise.

"I…I'm sorry, Jinbei," Ace said. "It's just…I'm worried, okay? My little brother has been foolhardy! Ever since Luffy and I were little, I've always had to worry about him constantly getting his ass in danger! He's a big, reckless idiot!"

* * *

Over eight hours have now passed. Magellan was in his office, again…apparently going through another diarrhea attack.

"Warden!" Domino called. "Warden Magellan! Good morning, sir!"

"I have diarrhea, again," said Magellan from his 'private quarters'.

"Well, please hurry, sir," said Domino. "It's time for us to send Portgas D. Ace…to Marineford."

* * *

Back in New Kama Land, everyone had stopped cheering…and the whole cave is silent. Then everyone gasped as screams of agony were heard. Then suddenly, something started to bang against the door, rattling the chains that locked it, startling Ben, Bon Clay, Ivankov, and the New Kamas.

"Huh?" Bon Clay muttered.

Ben stared at the door in anticipation.

The door kept shaking, but it wouldn't open. Behind it, an unfamiliar figure with a very familiar voice fell to the floor on his hands and knees, panting heavily.

 _ **GURRRRRRGLE~!**_

At that volume, one might think that that roaring may have come from a ferocious beast that lurked behind the door, but to Blizzard, that was a whole different story.

 _'I'd recognize the sound of that growling stomach, anywhere!'_ Ben thought.

Behind the door, Luffy took in a deep breath, and then… "GIVE ME FOOOOOOOOOOOOOD~!"

A pause.

Then, Ben gave a smirk, _'Yep,'_ Ben thought. ' _He's back!'_

"STRAW HAAAAAAT!" Bon Clay cried, his tears and snot coming down at full force.

"YEAH~!" The New Kamas cheered.

"All right, Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov cried, but then he gasped, "But wait," he said to himself. "I-impossible? How can this be? IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN ONE WHOLE DAY, YET!"

* * *

 ** _Unknown Dimension_**

A certain Chronosapien slammed his large hand through a nearby wall when he found out that the items that he needed to finally attain his dream of ruling all of time and existence were now out of his reach.

"SCHEISSE! We have already put Ben Tennyson out of the picture and yet thanks to his meddling, both the Dwarf Star and the Anihilaarg have now been lost!" Maltruant angrily shouted, "And there is also the possibility that Ben Tennyson can return to his own dimension!" Maltruant continued, before shooting an red energy blast at the wall, reducing it to ash.

"Keep in mind, Maltruant," said Eon who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, "If it weren't for me, you would have been stranded in that pathetic backwater world along with Tennyson. I suggest we go into the dimension Tennyson is currently residing and eliminate him for good, it's clear that we have greatly underestimated him and we that must tread lightly if we ever wish to defeat an adult Ben Tennyson who has mastered every secret in the Omnitrix, before we can focus on our own respective goals." Eon said.

"I have knowledge of the dimension of where Ben currently is. It's an Earth that has unique technology in a world of pirates that is run by a corrupt government. As much as it pains me to admit, it is filled to the brim with rather formidable beings, and with Tennyson, it's possible that they can outnumber and outmatch us. When we eliminate Tennyson, we shall annihilate these pirates and World Government as well." Maltruant added, which caused Eon to gain an interest in this dimension.

"But in order to accomplish such as feat, we must recruit every single one of Tennyson's old enemies to aid in our conquest, Eon said, agreeing with the plan, "But there are too many potential allies to choose from. I can't pick where to begin."

"Then let's start out with Tennyson's most feared enemy..." Maltruant stated as a malicious glint appeared in his red eyes.

* * *

 _ **AN: Done. The good news is that Luffy has recovered and has not lost ten years of his lifespan. The bad news is that Maltruant and Eon are planning to recruit Ben's most dangerous enemies in order to launch an invasion on the world of One Piece. What will happen next? Find out next time on A Hero and A Straw Hat.**_


	10. Unlikely Alliance and Dark Collaboration

_**The Null Void**_

One building within the Null Void, called the Vault, had been constructed to hold only one prisoner. He was one of the most dangerous, sadistic, and downright evil beings in the entire universe; his prison-within-a-prison was built accordingly. Nothing short of an army could get through, and even that was debatable.

Still, it had one weakness, overlooked due to the hasty nature of its construction; if someone could actually get inside, it was possible that they could shut off the security and simply walk out with the prisoner.

Which, of course, is exactly what was about to happen. A swirling vortex appeared deep within the prison, and Eon stepped through. The time walker looked around, as if to get their bearings, before walking towards an energy-cage, projected by a half-dome below.

"So this is your prison," Eon mused, "As much as I despise you, your aid is needed in order to succeed in our plan. So I have come to release you from your bonds."

The massive being within the cage glared at the time walker with red eyes.

 _ **"It should have taken no time for you to accomplish this task."**_ The prisoner let the accusation go unspoken.

Eon sneered, "The technology to enter the Null Void while avoiding the sensors of both the Plumbers and the Galvans was difficult even for me to obtain."

After a moment, the prisoner nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

 _" **Very well; release me."**_

Eon opened a gloved hand to reveal a black sphere, which he dropped near the projector. After a moment, the sphere released a torrent of red lightning, which overloaded and then destroyed the projector. The prisoner fell to the ground, landing on his feet.

 _ **"Now, what has been going on during my absence?"**_

"Tennyson has managed to find himself in another universe that parallels our own. However, there is still a chance that he can find his way back."

 _ **"Another universe, you say?"**_ The prisoner clenched a massive hand. _**"Interesting,** **I will travel to this other world and finally exact my vengeance on Tennyson, once and for all."**_

With a dark laugh, the prisoner and the time walker strode through the vortex, their minds focused on two things.

The destruction of the universe, and the death of Ben Tennyson.

* * *

 _ **Impel Down**_

Apparently the people who were watching over Luffy were surprised and shocked by his rapid recovery as they began to feed him a never ending supply of food.

Luffy ate at a rate that Ben had never seen before. He ate so fast and for so long that his body no longer appeared human. It was the shape of a blob, but he still kept eating, not even bothering to chew most of his food.

Still, Luffy's current state was much more preferable over the half dead state he had been in not that long ago.

"How long has he been eating?" Bon Clay asked. He was getting a stomach-ache from watching Luffy inhale his food.

"I lost track after thirty minutes," Ben said almost dryly as he watched Luffy eat. A part of him was grossed out, but given how close Luffy had come to dying, he was happy to see his friend trying to regain his strength.

Luffy finally stopped eating and walked out of the room, still in his blob form. He could barely fit through the door and had to duck to keep himself from hitting the doorframe, since his enlarged gut caused him to be so high off the ground.

After a second, Luffy reconfigured his body back into its proper shape. Color returned to his skin and Luffy looked as healthy as he did when he first came to Impel Down; although he still had some dried blood on himself.

"I'm back!" Luffy shouted to the heavens as he pumped his arms up.

"You're unbelievable! You're not human!" someone from the crowd watching Luffy shouted.

"There's no way you could have survived Magellan's poison!" someone else yelled.

"He beat the poison in only twenty hours!" a man shouted. "It's an unbelievable miracle!"

"A miracle? This is more than a miracle!" Iva yelled in complete shock. He stared at Luffy like he was some kind of risen spirit.

The group of New Kamas ran towards Luffy and started to throw him into the air as they celebrated his victory over death. He went to the jaws of abyss and lived to tell the tale.

Through the cheering, Luffy finally took notice of Ben and Bon Clay. The former was smirking in triumph while the latter was crying. At least they were still alive.

"Ben, Bon Clay, you guys are alright after all!" Luffy yelled happily.

"Stupid, quit joking around!" Bon Clay yelled angrily through his tears. "I'm the one who should be saying..." Before he could finish the sentence, he suddenly collapsed.

Luffy gasped in shock and dropped himself from the cheering crowd.

"Bon Clay, hey!" Luffy yelled in a panic as he patted his friend's cheek. "You okay!? Hang on! What's wrong!?"

Bon Clay was completely knocked out. There was blood coming out of his mouth and his eyes were rolled into the back of his head.

"He just overexerted himself," Iva assured. "His injures have nothing to do with it."

"Oh, Iva," Luffy said, surprising the people with how casual he was toward the Okama Queen. Only friends called Ivankov by his nickname. "We survived! Thanks a lot for everything you've done for us!"

Iva stared at Luffy before his eyes moved to Bon Clay. "It's Ben Boy and Mr. 2 Bon Boy you should be thanking. I just used my ability and lent you some strength. But he...he kept shouting for hours on end until his throat was dry and he was coughing up blood. He stayed here all along, sharing in your pain, constantly shouting for you to hang in there and live on!"

Luffy was taken back by what his friends did for him. He was so lost in his own anguish that he was aware of nothing else.

Luffy looked down at Bon Clay and then up at Ben with gratitude in his eyes. "I see. You guys, thank you. I owe you my life," he said in a gentle voice as he bowed before his saviors.

"Don't mention it," Ben replied with a smile as he put a hand on Luffy's shoulder, "I was just looking out for a friend."

Inazuma took this time to walk in with Luffy's clothes in his hand. His straw hat was there, but Inazuma provided him with a different shirt. This vest was a bright yellow color.

"Here is your hat and some clothes. You have survived, but that is all," Inazuma said in a firm voice as Luffy took the offered garments. "You will not make a full recovery until you have rested for two days."

Luffy, naturally, protested. "I don't have time for that! Me and Ben have wasted enough time already! Sorry, but can you guys take care of Bon Clay?" he asked as he put his vest and hat on. "Me and Ben will be back for him later."

He attempted to run, but found himself barely able to walk or stand. He eventually collapsed from exhaustion and the memory went hazy for a second.

"Whoa, what are you nuts?" asked one of the New Kama boys.

"Yeah! You're in still in pretty bad shape!" said another.

Luffy sat slowly up and reached for his hat. He removed Ace's Vivre Card and stared at it for a moment. "That paper is still pointing down. Ace is down there..." He looked around in confusion. "Come to think of it, where are we?"

"What's that?" A New Kama asked as he knelt beside Luffy.

"Isn't that a Vivre Card?" Iva asked, gaining Luffy's attention. "This is the space between Levels 5 and 6. Now that you're recovered, I suppose you don't care about anything other than saving your brother, right?"

"Well, it's none of my business what you do with your life," Iva said almost dismissively.

"Iva, aren't you going to escape?" Luffy asked. "I mean, Bon Clay came down here hoping to save your ass, you know."

Ben fought to hold back a chuckle as he listened to the shocked reactions from the people in the room.

"Mind telling me where Ace is while you're escaping?" Luffy asked in his trademark blunt manner.

"What are you saying? Bon-boy came to save me? So, that's how it is, huh?" Iva mused with a chuckle. "Well, isn't that cute. It's the thought that counts, I guess. But it's not the time for me to break out yet!"

Luffy looked at him in surprise.

"I understand the balance of power in the world. The marines and the Whitebeard Pirates are both trying to shift the world in their favor," Iva said as he folded his arms. "But that man has yet to make his move. The man who oversees all the revolutionaries in the world, my companion, the Revolutionary Dragon!"

"Ah, you mean Dad," Luffy commented offhandedly like he was expecting Iva to mention someone important.

 _'Wait...Dad?'_ Ben said in confusion.

Iva didn't seem to realize what Luffy just said and kept talking about Dragon, the Revolutionaries, and why he couldn't escape at the moment. After a few seconds, it sunk in. "YOUR DAD!?"

"Did he say 'Dad'!?" everyone in the room screamed in shock.

"Dragon is...your dad!?" Iva shouted in disbelief.

Luffy looked around in confusion. He didn't seem to realize the giant bomb he had just dropped.

"Y...y...you've got to be kidding me!" Iva stuttered as he attempted to recompose himself. "You're Dragon's son!? He has a son!?"

"Ah, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," Luffy said casually as he stood up.

"Probably for good reason," Ben pointed out, ' _Considering this Dragon guy's supposed to be the most wanted man in this world.'_

"Well, whatever. Grandpa told me," Luffy said. "I don't know him myself. To be honest, I don't even know what he looks like."

Iva continued to be in shock and was speechless for several seconds. "Where is your hometown?"

"In East Blue," Luffy answered.

Iva's eyes widened as if he was hit by some kind of revelation.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _Somewhere in Baltigo, the base of the Revolutionary Army, a younger Ivankov, who wore no crowns, yet, was standing behind his leader: Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy's father, who, for some reason, was facing the East._

 _"Dragon," said Ivankov. "You always stare off in that direction, for some reason whenever you come outside."_

 _"I do?" Dragon asked. "How odd. I wasn't even aware of it."_

 _"It's like you have gotten some animal's honing instinct or something," said Ivankov. "Does your homeland lie in that direction? Do you happen to have a family back in the East Blue? Well?"_

 _Dragon simply smirked and said, "Mind your own damn business, Iva."_

 _"Mm-hmm-hmm," Ivankov chortled. "My apologies."_

* * *

"Inazuma, go find out when Ace-boy is being taken to be executed!"

"Right away," Inazuma said with a slight bow as he left to do his task.

Iva's change in attitude caught Ben off-guard.

"It will be a race against time," Iva said to his men. "If the Vivre Card is still pointing down, then he hasn't been taken away yet. I will be heading to Level 6 alongside Strawhat-boy here."

"You're going to show me the way?" Luffy asked happily. "But...Level 6? I thought it was Level 5?"

"Like he said, this is Level 5.5," one of the people said.

"Well, whatever. I'm counting on you, so let's go!" Luffy yelled.

Iva turned and gave Luffy a peculiar look, but said nothing.

Luffy walked over to Bon Clay and patted his back. "Well then, Bon Clay, we'll come back to pick you up later."

Iva suddenly shoved his face right into Luffy, nearly suffocating him. "Strawhat-boy, in the future, you must not let slip such information about your origins!"

Luffy managed to pry his face away from Iva. "Yeah, you're probably right..."

"I'm your father's companion, one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Army," Iva said. "That's the reason why I was locked away. I might be acting of my own accord, but I have a duty to protect you. I will not let a friend's son die while I'm around to see it."

"Give the message to all inhabitants of Newkama Land!" Iva yelled. "We will hereby attempt to save Ace-boy and break out of Impel Down!"

The crowd started to mutter among themselves. None of them were prepared to leave on such short notice.

"Important decisions are always made suddenly! Those who want to come along, prepare yourselves for the worst and gather here, ready to fight!" Iva continued yelling, rallying the troops.

"Right! Let's go!" Inazuma shouted as he held up his wine glass.

Everyone cheered in agreement, ready for battle.

"Right!" Luffy yelled as he lifted his arms. "Wait for me, Ace! I'll be right there!" His mind was ready, but his body wasn't. He immediately collapsed again, causing everyone in Newkama Land to panic.

Iva picked Luffy up by his arm after he had finished checking his pulse. "You can't see it, but his body is exhausted." The spikes on his hand returned.

"What're you going to do now?" Ben asked as he watched Iva stick Luffy in his side again. He proceeded to pump something into Luffy's body.

Iva gently put Luffy down and the rubberman fell to his knees. He was shivering, but it wasn't from the cold.

"It's adrenaline," Iva explained as Luffy's body shook with energy. "You will be able to ignore you fatigue for one day. You will suffer some major aftereffects in exchange for it, but I assume you don't mind?"

* * *

 _ **Inside the elevator Level 6...**_

"You're late, sir!" Domino said to Magellan.

"You're too strict, Domino," said Magellan, who had just gotten through his diarrhea attack.

"From now on, please empty your empty bowls more quickly, sir!" said Domino.

"What you're asking me to do is impossible," said Magellan.

"We are meant to hand over the prisoner at exactly 0900, this morning," said Domino. "Failure to do so would ruin Impel Down's reputation as we know it."

The elevator starts going down…towards Level 6.

* * *

At Impel Down's entrance, Vice Admiral Onigumo is waiting with his convoy, smoking a cigarette.

"Until we have Portgas D. Ace in our custody and deliver him to Marine HQ in Marineford," Onigumo ordered his fleet, "we will remain on high alert! Is that understood, sailors?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Be ready for whatever comes!" Onigumo ordered. "We're working with five battleships under the command of five Vice Admirals! This escort must maintain tight security! Do your duty with all you've got!"

"Yes, sir!"

Outside the entrance, there are indeed five battleships at the ready.

* * *

On Level 5, Luffy, Ben who had now transformed into Blitzwolfer, Ivankov, and Inazuma are running through the wolves' den.

"Oh wow, I'm overflowing with energy!" Luffy yelled as he ran.

"Let's hurry," Inazuma said, still holding his wine glass. "Even the slightest delay could change the outcome of our actions."

They kept running and easily defeated the wolves that attempted to attack them. Iva took care of the majority of the wolves with his wink. While Blitzwolfer took them out with his ultrasonic howl.

Inazuma opened the main wooden door with a key he undoubtedly stole at some point.

"There are surveillance cameras past this point," Inazuma warned.

"Hey,why wasn't there any security in Level 5?" Blitzwolfer asked.

"Transponder snails don't do well in the cold," Iva answered.

"It really wouldn't make a difference. Most prisoners would be half-dead and frozen, even if they did attempt to escape," Inazuma said.

"Still, it seems pretty careless," Blitzwolfer said. "For the sake of torturing people, they gave up on security."

The quartet kept running down the stairs and managed to beat any trap they came across. They also ran into several guards, but they were defeated easily as well.

"I'm coming now, Ace!" Luffy screamed to his brother.

* * *

Inside the monitor room, the baffled guards stared at the monitor screens in disbelief.

"We've located some suspicious persons!" proclaimed one. "There are people and what look like an animal in the passage between Level 5 and Level 6!" He then gasped in shock. "No way! It's…! It's Ivankov the King of the Queens! But he disappeared years ago! What the hell's going on here? How did he survive all this time?"

"And look!" said another guard. "The intruders, 'Straw Hat' Luffy and his shapeshifter ally are with him! How could Straw Hat still be alive? He was hit with all of the Warden's poisons!"

"Look there!" cried one more guard. "There's another Level 5 prisoner who had disappeared! It's Inazuma, the Revolutionary of the South Blue!"

"What is going? They're all heading for Level 6!"

"They must be on their way to rescue 'Fire Fist' Ace!"

At that moment, Hannyabal came to look at the monitors, and needless to say, he was in great shock.

"Right now, Domino and Warden Magellan are on their way to get 'Fire Fist'. They're on a collision course."

"So, they're alive, after all, eh?" asked Hannyabal. "Turn on all the traps in the passage, right now!" he ordered the jailers. "Contact the guard room on Level 6! Put them on red alert! Have the guards hold them off until Sadie and the Jailer Beasts arrive! And report this to Warden Magellan and to all staff on all floors, at once! That is all!"

The guards were indeed shocked.

 _'Vice Warden Hannyabal is being unusually serious,_ thought one. _Is this REALLY him?'_

* * *

In Level 6, Magellan, Domino, and several other jailers arrived in front of Ace and Jimbei's cell.

"And now, Portgas D. Ace," said Magellan, "it's time for you to be taken to Marineford…where the gallows await you."

All Ace could do was heave a sigh…and hang his head in defeat.

 _'I'm sorry, Luffy,'_ he thought.

* * *

After mowing down several more rows of guards and jailers, Iva took one of the guards with them to show them the way to Ace's cell.

Finally, Luffy reached the end of the long stairway. The entire place was silent and had none of the over-the-top environmental tortures of the previous Levels. It was just quiet. It was almost like a tomb.

"This is the place where the most legendary criminals are held. Eternal Hell," Iva stated. Even the miracle-worker seemed frightened of this place.

"Where are you, Ace!?" Luffy shouted for his brother. "I'm here to save you! Ace, where are you!?"

Only Luffy's own echoes were heard.

"Just shouting won't get you anywhere," Iva said as he looked at the guard he had brought along. The guard was terrified of Iva. "Would you be so kind as to tell us?"

"Never!" the guard stuttered in defiance.

Iva smiled at him. "What a dilemma."

Iva dropped him. "You have to be a more honest individual!" The spikes in his hands came out and he stabbed the man on his sides.

Blitzwolfer who had now turned back into Ben, watched in amazement as the guard slowly changed into a woman. A fairly hot woman, to boot.

"What did you do?" Ben asked in horror.

To the surprise of the alien hero, however, the guard was happy about the change. He, or she, was so grateful that she led Luffy and the others right to Ace's cell.

When they reached the cell that held Ace, there was no one in it. It was obvious that someone was there recently, judging by the fresh bloodstains on the wall that were near a group of chains.

"Ace!" Luffy called to his brother as he looked desperately around the cell. It was obvious that he was too late.

"No…" Ben said, "He's gone! We're too late!"

Ben felt for his friend. Luffy had sacrificed so much and he still didn't make it in time. His trip to Impel Down was a failure.

What made things even more bitter was that he and Luffy could have made it in time if he had only had taken down Magellan a lot faster.

"Hey, are you Strawhat Luffy?" a man in the cell asked. He was so hidden by the shadows that all the Strawhats failed to notice him.

Luffy turned towards the sound and saw Jimbei chained against the wall. He was bloody and bruises covered his body. It was clear to see that he had been tortured, but the fishman didn't seem bothered by his injuries.

"Yeah," Luffy replied to Jimbei's question.

"They've just taken him. Chase after them!" Jimbei yelled. He pulled hard on his chains. "Ace was being escorted to the lift! Go, you can still make it if you hurry!"

"Old man, who are you?" Luffy asked.

"He's another big shot!" Iva exclaimed, shocked to see Jimbei.

Jimbei didn't answer, but a sense of understanding passed between the two men.

"Right, I got it!" Luffy exclaimed. "Thanks, whoever you are!"

Luffy, Ben, Iva, and Inazuma ran towards the lift.

"They left the gate open to the lift!" Inazuma exclaimed as Iva attempted to pull the lever.

"The mechanisms are locked, it's no use!" Iva yelled in vain as he pulled on the jammed lever.

"We can't use it? But if we climb this, we can probably make it," Luffy said as he ran to look up the lift. The second he put his head into the lift, he was nearly beheaded by a row of spikes that suddenly fell, destroying the lift.

"It's to be expected," Iva said somberly. "It's not like they would let us climb up." He turned to face his companions. "The lift is useless! They're watching our every move. Let's use the stairs we climbed down!"

They ran back towards the stairway, but it was quickly sealed off by a steel gate that descended on them.

"Figures that they wouldn't make it that easy," Ben muttered.

"Hey, they blocked the stairs!" Luffy yelled in frustration.

"They're trying to close us in," Iva said as he folded his arms. "If we can't break this, there will be no way out!"

"Alright!" Luffy exclaimed as he got ready to break the bars.

That was when a loud hissing sound filled their ears. Soon, a greenish gas descended on them.

"It is a massive gas cloud!" Inazuma exclaimed as he covered his mouth. "Don't tell me it's poisonous!?"

"I don't care if it's poisonous!" Luffy yelled as he charged towards the steel gate but then immediately collapsed.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Level 1, near the big elevator, Ace had found out about Luffy being on Level 6, and had attempted to fight the guards off and go back in an attempt to save Luffy, to no avail, for Magellan had roughly pinned him down to the floor by his head.

"LUFFY!" Ace cried.

"You heard the report," said Magellan. "Quit resisting. You and your brother are both pirates. Neither of you have a prayer here!"

 _Dammit!_ Ace cursed in thought. _I was really hoping it wasn't true! Why in the HELL did you come here, Luffy?_

"How did Straw Hat manage to survive my poison?" Magellan questioned.

* * *

Acting quickly, Ben transformed into Terraspin and used his wind blasts to clear away the gas.

Luffy was now awake, looking worse for wear. The staircase was somehow blocked with strips cut off from the floor, keeping anymore gas from getting to them.

Luffy was still drowsy, but managed to keep himself from falling back to sleep. His eyes widened when he saw that the stairway was completely blocked off.

"Hey, I want to keep moving. We can't catch up to Ace now that you closed off the stairs!" Luffy complained, now fully awake.

"Sealing the stairs was the only way to stop the gas," Inazuma said neutrally. "It will be impossible to rescue him if you are unconscious."

"He's got a point Luffy," Ben pointed out, "After what you went through after you got poisoned, do you really want to risk your life even further?"

"I'm going to rescue him even if I am unconscious!" Luffy proclaimed in frustration as he flailed his arms. It looked like he was having a tantrum by the way he was acting. "Do you realize that Ace is going to be executed!?"

"Do not be rash," Inazuma said calmly. "The enemy's plan was simple, but we fell right into it. Now, we are all stuck on Level 6. In this situation, there is no way to escape."

"It's a shame, but all we can do is this," Iva said as he took out the transponder snails that was watching them with his Winks. "If we think logically, we can't make it on time. Ace-boy is already being escorted to the meeting place. We, on the other hand, have to deal with all the enemies standing in our way. The military convoy is quite fast. Observe the Vivre Card."

Luffy took out Ace's Vivre Card and it was pointing straight up. Luffy knew by seeing the paper like this that Iva's words were true. They were truly too late.

"He's probably being handed to the marines as we speak," Iva said. "Right now we need to change our attitude. I will do everything in my power to help you escape this prison safely."

Luffy was no longer listening to Iva. He was instead staring straight up, past the stone ceiling. His expression was blank, but Ben knew by his demeanor that there was only one course of action left to him. The action that would lead him to Ace and both of their destinies.

Luffy closed his hand around the shrunken Vivre Card as he steeled himself. "Ben and I are going too."

Iva stopped talking when he heard Luffy speak. "Huh?"

"We're going to Marine Headquarters!" Luffy proclaimed.

The sentence was like a thunderbolt had struck the room. Even Ben felt the weight of the statement.

"Are you stupid!?" Iva snapped.

"This is a battle between the world's greatest powers!" Iva yelled. "What can you and Ben Boy do if you go there!? Do you not realize Whitebeard's true strength!? Do you not realize the marines' strength with their admirals, vice-admirals, and Warlords!? Did you forget that you fought Magellan one-on-one and almost died!? How many lives do you think you have left to spare!?"

Hearing Iva rant really put into perspective what Luffy was about to do to the Omnitrix wielder. Luffy was going up against the best in his entire world. He would be an ant in the middle of a raging storm. He would be torn apart.

Worse yet, Ben could tell by the look in his eyes that he was fully aware that if he took this course of action that he might not come back.

"What is it?" Iva asked as he saw that same expression in Luffy's face.

"If I give up now, I'll regret it forever," Luffy said as he stared Iva right in his eyes.

"Then we're in agreement," Ben stated. His expression turned serious, "But first, we need to find another way up this floor."

As Luffy spoke, a visage of Ace flashed across his memory.

* * *

 _Flashback_

" _But we're still alive after having made an oath with him. So listen, Luffy. We have to live a life with no regrets. One day, we're going to sail the seas and live our lives as we want! No one will be freer than us!_ " _Ace proclaimed._

* * *

Luffy's eyes seemed to flash as he remembered his vow to his brother. He would lead a life of no regrets, even if it took him to the grave. He wouldn't let history repeat itself. He wouldn't let the world take his final brother.

Iva was startled and nearly fell backwards. He was overwhelmed by Luffy's words and conviction. He began to look at Luffy differently as he stepped away from the boy captain. Iva regarded Luffy now like he wasn't some stupid child who understood nothing, but as a man who was willing to spit destiny in the eye and take his own path no matter the outcome. Whether Iva helped him or not, Luffy's path was set.

"Before all that, we cannot even escape from this floor," Inazuma said, calming the heated atmosphere.

A dry chuckle suddenly filled the room. Luffy and the others looked at the cell right next to them.

"If you want to escape from here, set me free," the snide voice of the former Warlord and former president of Baroque Works Crocodile said from the shadows of his cell. He was now sporting a prison uniform, but he kept his hook for some reason. The former Warlord looked well, not showing any signs of torture or discomfort. He gave Luffy a cocky smile. "I can open a hole in the ceiling. So, how about it?"

Luffy's eyes widened when he saw his former enemy. Unlike many of Luffy's other foes, he could never forget Crocodile.

"Crocodile!" Luffy exclaimed as hatred and anger rose in his voice. He was close to growling.

"You mean that psychopath who tried to take over your friend's country you told me about?" Ben questioned, "You were right, he is ugly!"

Crocodile ignored Ben as he laughed at Luffy. "Long time no see, Strawhat!"

The two pirates glared at each other for a moment. Despite Crocodile having his dreams and ambitions crushed by Luffy, he didn't seem to hold any ill will towards the rubberman. In fact, one could say he almost seemed happy to see Luffy again.

"I had been thinking that even if I were on the outside, there would be nothing going on that interest me," Crocodile said. "Now, however, I hear the Whitebeard Pirates and the marines are going to war. I never thought I would get the chance to take that old man's head."

"He makes it sounds like he's on vacation or something," Ben said as he narrowed his eyes.

"I am interested in this war," Crocodile stated. "With my powers, we can all escape from here. It is not a bad deal, is it? We both have something to gain."

"Screw you!" Luffy yelled at Crocodile. "You're the one who made a mess of Vivi's country!"

"That is all in the past," Crocodile said dismissively. "I no longer have any interest in that country."

"Jeez, Are you kidding me!? You sound like you broke up with a bad date or something," Ben said.

"Let's release him, Strawhat-boy," Iva said, surprising Luffy and Ben. "He would make a powerful ally."

"Iva, that guy..." Luffy started to argue as he pointed at Crocodile.

"You're not stopping here. If you're going to Marine Headquarters you will need him even more," Iva cut off.

"As much as I hate to admit it, which I really can't," Ben said, "But we need all the help we can get."

"Ivankov!" Crocodile growled, getting Ben's attention.

Crocodile was literally shaking in rage and he clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw must undoubtedly hurt.

"Long time no see, Croco-boy," Iva greeted with a cheeky grin. There was almost sadistic pleasure in his voice.

"What, you know him?" Luffy asked as he looked between the two.

"We've met back when he was still a rookie," Iva said, pissing off Crocodile even more. "It will be alright. Even if he tries to betray us, I can hold him back." His smile got even more vicious as he leaned closer to the cell. "You can't completely trust him, but I have a firm grasp on this guy's weakness."

"Hey, if you say anything uncalled for..." Crocodile started to yell, losing all of his previous cool demeanor.

"Oh my, you really think it's a good idea to give me that tone?" Iva asked mockingly. It sounded like he was scolding a naughty child. "I don't mind telling everyone right now about your past."

Crocodile growled at the Okama Queen.

"As long as you're a good boy and help us out, I won't say anything," Iva said in a sweet, sing-song voice.

"Why you..." Crocodile snarled, but could do nothing.

"Man, now I want to know what this big secret is," Ben said.

Some of the other prisoners who were listening started to demand to be released, too, so they could take Whitebeard's head. Iva responded by Death Winking them in the face.

"I beg you, please, take me with you! I will definitely help you!" Jimbei yelled from his cell, causing everyone to turn towards him. "I have known Ace since he joined the Whitebeard Pirates! He told me everything about you, his little brother! I am here because I opposed this war! I wish to save Ace! Please, let me chose the place of my death!"

Iva's eyes widened, shock that Jimbei would offer his assistance.

Luffy stared at Jimbei, as if judging the sincerity of his words. Before long, he came up with his answer. "Sure."

"Hey, is it really okay?" Inazuma asked in concern. "We know nothing of this guy's personality or how dangerous he might be."

"It's fine. Let him out," Luffy said.

"Like I said before," Ben said, "We need all the help we can get."

Jimbei nodded at Luffy. "I am most grateful."

Iva also nodded his head in agreement towards Inazuma.

With all the arrangements made, Inazuma went to work and freed Jimbei and Crocodile from their shackles. In that moment, a powerful and very unlikely team was formed.

* * *

The guards quickly rushed down the stairs, masks on their faces and rifles in their hands, prepared to apprehend the criminals that they had trapped on Level 6...or so they think.

 _" **Stay on your toes! Remember that Straw Hat, Ivankov, and Inazuma all have Devil Fruit powers! Be sure to arm yourselves with prison bullets!"**_

The guards broke the shields that Inazuma had made.

"We've reached Level 6!" said one of the guards.

 _" **Be careful! The enemy is waiting there!"**_

As the dust cleared, the guards gasped in shock and surprise. There, in front of them, is a huge stone spiral, going right through the ceiling!

"Who made that?"

"There's this giant hole in the ceiling!"

"Where are those four? Find them!"

The guards disperse, searching the room for Luffy, Ben, Ivankov, and Inazuma, when suddenly…

"What kind of idiots would stick around after making an escape route?" asked a voice.

The guards turned and saw the owner of the voice: the Ex-Head Jailer, Shiryu.

"Head Jailer Shiryu!" said one of the girls.

"Just look at you all," said Shiryu with a toothy smirk. "You're totally and completely ineffectual without me. You can't do anything right. This is definitely a failure of epic proportions, a stain on the reputation of Impel Down. The four that you're looking for freed Crocodile and Jimbei…"

"What?"

"And went through to Level 5 through that hole," Shiryu said.

He then grinned wider.

"Tell Magellan," he begins, "that I'm willing to help!"

"W-what?" questioned the guard. "B-but-"

* * *

Crocodile was true to his word and used his powers to make a hole in the ceiling, using the spiral staircase that Inazuma made with his ability. Once free from Level 6, they returned to Level 5.5 to get the remaining troops and for Crocodile to change his clothes into something more fitting of his style.

Bon Clay, who had regained consciousness, insisted on having an adrenaline shot too. He wanted to be able to help Luffy despite everything he had already done.

With Bon Clay being taken care of and Inazuma getting the remaining Newkama Land people ready for a massive uproar, Jimbei, Crocodile, Ben, and Luffy left the safety of Level 5.5 first and ran to escape from Hell.

As the four powerhouses ran towards the staircase that led to Level 4, Crocodile turned his head towards Luffy and gave him particular stare. "I have to say, Strawhat, I never thought you would go this far. I knew you were a thoughtless fool who recklessly throws his life away for others, but I never expected that you would break into Hell for the sake of one person. Now, you actually want to go into a war zone with the greatest in the world. Do you see your life as that meaningless, or are you just stupid?"

Luffy glared at Crocodile. "What I do is my business."

Crocodile chuckled. "Still have not changed, Strawhat Luffy. Your brother means that much to you? To the point that you abandoned your own crew to save him?"

Luffy said nothing.

"How about your own desires? Were you not the one spouting about how you would become the Pirate King? Has hearing about your brother's execution made you give up your own ambition?" Crocodile continued to inquiry.

Ben started to get angry. This guy was really getting on his nerves.

Jimbei gave the fellow Warlord a hard stare.

Luffy said nothing for several seconds. "I will do anything I can to save Ace."

"Even risking Hell?" Crocodile questioned.

"He's worth more than Hell," Luffy answered in absolution. "I'll follow him to the end of the world."

Crocodile smirked. "And what if you fail? Will you also follow him in death?"

The question made Ben cringe. He was about ready to go Rath on Crocodile.

"Crocodile," Jimbei growled in disapproval.

"I won't let Ace die," Luffy said, stopping Jimbei from saying anything more. "I'll die before I let them kill him."

Crocodile stared at Luffy for a moment longer before he turned his eyes back in front of him. He seemed strangely satisfied.

Ben gave Luffy a worried look, but chose to stay silent.

It took only a few seconds after the conversation had ended for the quartet to reach the exit to Level 5.

"It is almost ten in the morning right now!" Jimbei yelled as they ran up the flight of stairs to Level 4. "The execution will take place at three this afternoon. They are certain to carry out the execution at that exact moment! If Whitebeard intends to stop them, he should attack several hours before the execution! Ace is already being taken across the sea! The battle could break out any minute now!"

"They won't kill him before three o'clock, right!?" Luffy asked. "Then we still have a chance!"

Crocodile floated ahead of the group and used his ability to dissolve the door that was blocking their path. They were greeted on the other side by dozens of jailers who stupidly attempted to shoot Crocodile. Naturally, it didn't work.

Crocodile dried the idiot jailors to near dust, while the other jailers attempted to attack Luffy. They were smart enough to shoot him with seastone nets, but Luffy easily evaded them and took to the air.

"Gum Gum Rain!" Luffy screamed as he unleashed rain punches upon the jailers.

In a green flash, Ben turned into Swampfire. He then unleashed a massive stream of fire that engulfed and burned many of the jailors.

Jimbei took out his jailers by using his Fishman Karate to hit them without even physically touching them. It looked like they were hit by as gust of wind, although they Strawhats knew it was Jimbei manipulating the water inside the jailers' body.

"Whoa!" cried one of the guards. "What kind of a punch was that? How are we supposed to fight something like that?"

"We're up against a pirate that is worth 300,000,00 Berries, someone who transform into a variety of monsters, plus two Warlords!" exclaimed another jailer.

"Stand you ground!" said one more. "We have to hold them off as best we can until reinforcements arrive!"

To say that the jailers stood no chance would have been an understatement. Somewhere during the one-sided beat down, Crocodile suddenly left the group and floated towards one of the holding areas.

Despite easily out-matching all of the jailers, the guards of Impel Down were succeeding in slowing Luffy, Ben, and Jimbei's progress. That was until their backup arrived.

Iva, Inazuma, Bon Clay, and the others from Newkama Land came charging up the stairs like soldiers of war. They were fewer in numbers, but they all easily overran the jailers, pushing them back.

"We finally made it!" Iva screamed as he pumped his arms.

"Straw-Boy! Ben Boy!" Bon Clay yelled happily as he spun around.

At that moment, Crocodile returned and he brought someone with him.

The man wasn't wearing a shirt, but he had the pants of the prison uniform. He had dark skin and clean-cut gray hair. On his chest was kanji that spelt the number one. Much like Crocodile, he had a no-nonsense demeanor.

"Mr. 1, why are you here!?" Bon Clay exclaimed in surprise.

Mr. 1 barely acknowledged Bon Clay.

"Who's this guy?" Luffy asked.

"He's the guy who was beaten by Waistband back in Alabasta!" Bon Clay exclaimed.

"Oh, someone I don't know then," Luffy said casually.

With all their forces gathered, the makeshift army started to move, ready to take on the demons of Impel Down. Somewhere during the charge, Iva made his head grow and his face now towered over the rest of the group as they ran.

Regardless of how ridiculous it looked, Iva's Death Wink destroyed the barricade that the jailers set up. Luffy and the others handled the remaining jailors as they ran through the guards like they were cardboard cutouts.

As they ran by the cells, the people of Newkama Land used the keys that they had stolen to release any prisoner they could find to increase their numbers. The prisoners were more than happy to not only attempt an escape, but to get even with their tormentors.

* * *

The waves lapped against the hull of the battleships as they begin to sail away from Impel Down.

"There appears to be an unprecedented riot on Impel Down," said Vice-Admiral Onigumo. "And the ring leaders behind it is Monkey D. Luffy and a man with an unknown power that allows him to shapeshift into powerful creatures."

On board one of them, Onigumo turned away from Ace, who sat on a chair, locked in chains.

"Take a good, long look at the sky, Fire Fist," said Onigumo, "because once we get you on the execution platform in Marineford and your shackles have been locked…it's the last thing you'll ever see."

Ace stared up at the sky, watching three seagulls fly away, before he looked down in defeat.

So this is it. It appeared that Ace has accepted his fate.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters…**_

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

"Did you find him?!"

"No! We can't find him, anywhere!"

There is quite a commotion going on in Sengoku's office as a panicked Vice-Admiral came storming into the room.

"'Fire Fist' Ace is going to be executed in just over five hours from now!" said the Vice-Admiral. "Whitebeard could attack at any moment! Meanwhile, the Warlord Blackbeard…BLACKBEARD IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!"

Sengoku gasped.

"And that's not all, sir! A battleship that wasn't given clearance to embark…arrived just now, at Impel Down!"

Sengoku froze.

"We don't think that this is related, sir, but…"

* * *

Back at Impel Down, at the Main Entrance, the guards suddenly came to the pier and readied their weapons as a group of mysterious figures made their way towards the prison from one of the battleships…that has just arrived…?

"W-wait! Hold on, please! He haven't requested reinforcements!"

"We have an emergency going on, right now! We can't be held responsible for this!"

"We'll request confirmation from headquarters right away!"

"I don't care," said a familiar grisly voice. "After all, aren't we supposed to be on the same side, here?"

"But it is strictly forbidden for any pirate to go near the prison…what the?!"

The guards suddenly felt themselves sinking…into the pier- or rather into a dark void as the figures walked passed them.

"AAAAAAAAH!" they screamed before they were completely engulfed.

The figures are revealed to be…the Blackbeard Pirates.

"It's all right," said Blackbeard. "I'm with the Government now, am I right?"

"Man, what a gloomy place this is! WEE-HA-HA!" laughed Burgess.

"Zehahaha…!" Blackbeard laughed.

 _" **Reporting, sir!"**_ said one of the staff. _**"The Marine crew of Blackbeard's battleship…has been annihilated!"**_

At that moment, a troop of Marines appeared the Blackbeard crew and pointed their rifles at them.

"Stop right there!" said one of the Marines. "All of you!"

Blackbeard turned to face the Marines with a sick grin and snicker.

"LIBERATION!"

Blackbeard released all the things that he had engulfed upon the Marines, including the guards. They are all bloody…and looked absolutely terrified.

"Look! It's the guards that he swallowed!" said a Marine.

"Hey, are you all right? Hang in there!"

"D…darkness…!" gasped one of the guards. "M…make it stop!"

 _" **It's Marshall D. Teach, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! It's Blackbeard and his crew! He's entering the prison with clearly malicious intentions, and WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE WANTS HERE! AWAITING ORDERS, SIR- AAAAH!"**_

The line went dead…

* * *

Inside the prison, Hannyabal is foaming at the mouth, beside himself with panic.

 _That's it! That's IT!_ Hannyabal thought. _It's over! My life is over! Oh, wait! It's just the beginning! It's only the beginning of a life of frustration at never being able to attain my dream! I'll never be the Warden at this rate!"_

The Vice-Warden started to reel backwards.

"Vice-Warden!"

"Get a hold of yourself, sir!"

"How can I?!" Hannyabal shouted. "Straw Hat Luffy and that shapeshifter are on Level 4, Buggy the Clown is on Level 2, and Blackbeard's at the main entrance! WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO START?!"

He suddenly faced one of the guards.

"I know!" he said. "Let's go back to the monitor room and eat some yummy rice cakes!"

"ARE YOU MAD, VICE-WARDEN?!" asked the guard. "PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, SIR! YOU MUST PROTECT IMPEL DOWN!"

"THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!" Hannyabal argued. "YOUR HEAD ISN'T ON THE LINE, UNLIKE MINE!"

One of the Mini Transponder Snail rang and the guard picked it up.

 _" **Hannyabal! Can you hear me?"**_

"Oh! Warden Magellan, sir!" the guard said. "Where are you right now?!"

* * *

On his way from Level 2, Magellan is there with Domino and another guard, his hands dripping with poison, and all around him, the prisoners were drenched in it, as well as suffocating from the Poison Spider Cloud.

"I've dealt with these rioting fools on Level 2," spoke Magellan into the Transponder Snail.

" **WHAT?!"** Hannyabal cried on the other line.

"I've sealed off all the exits from that floor," Magellan explained. "They'll all be immobilized, soon."

* * *

On Level 2, Buggy and Mr. 3, as well the riot that they've been leading, have found, to their horror, that one of the ways out of the floor has been blocked off by an oozing wall of poison.

"Captain Buggy!" cried one of the prisoners. "This passage has been cut off by poison, too!"

"Damn that Magellan!" Buggy cursed. "That cheater!"

"This is terrible! Just terrible!" Mr. 3 cried.

* * *

"I have no idea why Blackbeard would want to attack us," Magellan began, "but I've already taken a measure against him and his crew, even though it pained me to do so. We can't ask for reinforcements from Marine Headquarters, so we'll have to deal with the situation ourselves. Do what you can to suppress the riot at Level 4! I will be heading there soon, myself."

* * *

 _" **Until then, try to hold out!"**_

Hannyabal is in tears as a…rather ironic sense of relief overcomes him.

"YEAH, WARDEN~! WARDEN, WARDEN, WARDEN!" he suddenly cheers as he starts to spin his arm around and around.

"Sir! Let's go, already!" said one of the guards.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Level 6, one prisoner has been let out of his cell by the guards: Shiryu of the Rain.

Shiryu is revealed to be a rather large man, as tall as Blackbeard in height. He has a black officer's cap with a red stripe that has white ear-flips on the sides, and maroon gloves. The bill of his hat seemed to be kept rather low, slightly obscuring his eyes. He also possesses a prominent chin. Unlike the other prisoners, however, he is wearing the uniform worn by most of the staff of Impel Down. He did not have his devil-like wings to go with the outfit, like Magellan's and Hannyabal's, but now, he wears a long white, yellow, and black jacket draped over the uniform, like a cape, and on the back of the jacket is the kanji for prison.

Shiryu flicked on his lighter and lit his cigar.

"I learned my lesson, all right," said Shiryu. "Endless boredom is worse than death. But let's get one thing straight here: you're not going to make me work, and then send me right back into my cell, right…Magellan?"

 _" **You're on a reprieve from death row,"**_ said Magellan from the other end of the Transponder Snail. _**"There won't be a next time."**_

"Right," said Shiryu. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Here is your sword, sir," said one of the guards as he hands Shiryu a long-bladed katana with a square guard and a sheath that is white on the top half and red on the bottom half.

 _" **I'm leaving Blackbeard to you, Shiryu,"**_ said Magellan.

"Understood," said Shiryu.

The Transponder Snail fell asleep as Magellan fell asleep.

Shiryu snickered as he held up his katana and started to slowly unsheathe it.

"My sword," he said to himself. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The guards seemed confused at first, but then, Shiryu lunges at them, quick as a flash, and cuts them all down!

"AAAAAAAGH!" the guards screamed until they fell to the floor.

"Sorry about that," Shiryu said, nonchalantly.

* * *

Luffy and the others were almost off the narrow bridge when the four Demon Guards confronted them.

"Luffy-kun, Ben-kun! let's go! I will help you," Jimbei said as he ran beside Luffy. "Though, I am not very good fighting on land."

"Really? You're pretty tough," Luffy said, mildly surprised.

"Get them, Demon Guard!" Sadie yelled as the three demons charged forward.

Crocodile floated in to assist Swampfire, Jimbei and Luffy just as the Strawhat captain activated his Third Gear.

Crocodile took out the rhino beast with a sand tornado that flung it into the air and Jimbei easily defeated the zebra demon with one punch from his Fishman Karate, Swampfire formed two whip like vines with fire at the tips and with one forward motion, the Minotaurus was down for the count with an x-shaped gash on it's chest. Leaving Luffy with the teddy bear-looking demon. With one Giant Pistol, the Demon Guard went down and didn't stand back up.

The ringleader of the Demon Guards fought the army of Newkama Land and was easily defeating them. All the while, Sadie was moaning as she enjoyed their pain and encouraged them to scream louder.

Luffy moved in to fight the sadistic woman, but he was pushed aside by Iva.

"Didn't I tell you to keep moving forward!?" Iva scolded as he faced the vicious Head Jailor. "I will be your opponent." After he said that, Iva injected himself with hormones and transformed himself into a woman much to Ben's disbelief.

While Iva fought, Luffy and the others ran towards the exit of Level 4. Their escape, however, was blocked by the Vice-Warden, Hannyabal. He twirled his halberd around as he prepared for battle.

"This is the fortress of Hell!" Hannyabal proclaimed as he stared defiantly at the escapees. "You shall not pass!"

"Who is this guy, barging in like he's so big?" Luffy asked in annoyance.

"Hannyabal, the Assistant-Warden of this prison," Inazuma stated.

Some of the prisoners attempted to rush Hannyabal, but they were quickly shot down by guns that had nets in them, pinning them to the floor.

"Behold, I've got a thousand men guarding the stairs to Level 3 all wielding bazookas loaded with special prison ammunition!" Hannyabal exclaimed proudly. "There's no escape for you!"

Luffy growled as he slowly approached the Vice-Warden. Both of their eyes were hardened in determination.

Hannyabal got into position. "To protect the bright future of the defenseless civilians, Strawhat, the infamous, world-renowned pirate, I will carry out your sentence on the Warden's behalf!"

"Move it!" Luffy demanded.

"No way!" Hannyabal shouted.

Suddenly, Hannyabal found himself getting knocked back by a vicious uppercut from Swampfire.

"AGH!" the Vice-Warden cried as he was sent flying back.

"You had better not get in our way," Swampfire said.

"Ben, what are you doing?!" Luffy asked his friend.

"It looks like he's trying to fight off Hannyabal for us," Inazuma answered.

Hannyabal suddenly stood up.

"So," he said, "you think you can actually go toe-to-toe with me, do you, shapeshifter?!"

"I don't think, pal," Swampfire replied, "I _know_. Time to go Ultimate!"

Luffy's eyes widened. Meanwhile Iva, Inazuma, Jimbei, and Crocodile gave Swampfire confused looks.

Swampfire slammed the Omnitrix dial. His body suddenly became more wood-like in appearance, making him look more like some kind of tree. Three huge blue shells of some sort stuck out of his back, making his upper torso, except for his arms, to appear a bit roundish.

"ULTIMATE SWAMPFIRE!" he roared.

Iva, Inazuma, Jimbei, and Crocodile's eyes widened. None of them had ever seen a power like this. While Luffy had stars in his eyes.

"So cool!" He yelled.

Ultimate Swampfire grinned at Hannyabal while cracking his knuckles. "So, you ready for a beating?" he asked.

"Don't underestimate me!" Hannyabal yelled as he spun his halberd, making it catch on fire.

He jumped forward and began to ruthlessly attack Ultimate Swampfire with the flaming weapon.

"If you don't move, I'll be forced to hurt you," Ultimate Swampfire yelled as his anger built. "We will save Ace!"

"Don't make me laugh! If you could defeat me so easily, I wouldn't be worthy of being the Vice-Warden!" Hannyabal shouted as he attempted to impale the evolved Methanosian.

Ultimate Swampfire backed away from Hannyabal and got into a fighting stance. He didn't waste another moment as he raised his hands. Blue fire erupted through the holes in his hands and went straight at Hannyabal's shocked face. This blue fire was many times bigger than Swampfire's flames. The Vice-Warden screamed in pain as the flames scorched his body. sending him spiraling towards the floor in a burned heap.

Hannyabal lay still on the floor and appeared to be unconscious. Ultimate Swampfire then proceeded to walk past the seemingly-defeated man. He was taken off-guard when Hannyabal suddenly grabbed him by the leg and began to stand up with much effort.

"Let go of me!" Ultimate Swampfire yelled as he kicked Hannyabal away from him.

"I will not...let you pass!" Hannyabal screamed as he attempted to slash Ultimate Swampfire. His attacks were not as fast as before and the man was barely holding on to consciousness.

"Move it!" Ultimate Swampfire yelled as he punched Hannyabal, sending the Vice-Warden crashing into the floor again.

Hannyabal, however, quickly stood back up. "That was nothing! I can still fight!" He set his halberd back on fire attempted to attack Ultimate Swampfire.

"Get out of my way!" Ultimate Swampfire screamed as he punched him again, sending him into the floor for the third time.

Hannyabal got back up, regardless of numerous burns and bruises covering his body. He was also breathing hard and was very unsteady on his feet.

"I...I will not let you pass!" Hannyabal yelled with fire in his eyes.

Before he could move, Ultimate Swampfire reached into the one of the blue shells in his back and scooped some of the substance. "Take this!"

The next thing Hannyabal knew was an explosion right in his face. He was blasted backwards and landed on his back. He tried to get up but was blasted by a roaring, blue inferno. Hannyabal roared in pain as he felt his body being baked.

"Stay down!" Ultimate Swampfire told the Vice-Warden.

Hannyabal got back to his feet. "Never," he said.

Ultimate Swampfire sighed. "Will you just give up? We need to get out of this prison right now."

"I'm not letting you pass!" Hannyabal interrupted as he got his halberd ready for another round.

The fight went on, although it was more of a one-sided beat down than an actual battle. Ben completely dominated Hannyabal, burning him mercilessly into a crisp. Still, Hannyabal refused to stay down and kept getting up no matter how many times Ben burned him.

His powerful allies stood by as they waited for Ben to finish Hannyabal. Most of them looked annoyed by the distraction, while both Luffy and Jimbei looked grimly understanding.

The guards and jailers in the area begged Hannyabal to stay down before Ben killed him.

Hannyabal went flying into the floor so hard that he left a crater in the stone.

"We're going to save Luffy's brother no matter what!" Ultimate Swampfire yelled, tried of Hannyabal standing in his way.

Hannyabal was still able to stand by leaning on his halberd for support. He was bleeding badly and looked only half conscious. "What do you mean you're going to save your brother!? Don't try to glorify the trash of society!"

Luffy's eye twitched at Hannyabal calling Ace trash while Ultimate Swampfire glared angrily at the Vice-Warden.

"You pirates and rebels gained your reputations outside by committing crimes!" Hannyabal shouted as he glared accursedly at everyone within the area. Everyone could see the righteous fury in his eyes. "Civilians can't sleep at night fearing that their loved ones will lose their lives, and it's all because you scum sail the seas! It's why we imprison the most dangerous criminals around the world; to make sure that the defenseless civilians can rest easy!" He took several deep breaths. "This is the fortress of Hell! If it were to fall, the whole world would descend into the depths of fear!"

"Yeah, most pirates are criminals who probably do deserve to go to prison. I certainly met some monsters in my lifetime," Ben growled, narrowing his eyes and clenching his wooden fists. "But, given the atrocities I've heard about what your Government has committed in the name of so-called 'justice,' your point falls really flat."

Luffy heard the alien hero's words, and he grinned.

"Well said, Ben," he said. "You sure told him."

"You damn monster," Hannyabal as he stood back up, once more.

"Listen, pal! Ace is important to me, so move it!" Luffy screamed, not affected at all by Hannyabal's words.

"I can't reason with a couple of fools!" Hannyabal yelled.

Before Ultimate Swampfire and Hannyabal could engage each other again, there were some kind of commotion behind the Vice-Warden, and the guards that were there began screaming as if they were in pain. A black mist was swallowing the jailers.

"What in the world is that!?" Ultimate Swampfire exclaimed.

"Just give it up!" a familiar voice yelled as darkness engulfed Hannyabal. "Don't go spouting that crap about justice and evil! You can look all over the world, but you'll never find an answer!" The mist formed into a man and Hannyabal was ruthlessly kicked in the face, putting him down for good.

Blackbeard removed his foot from Hannyabal's face and gave a sadistic grin.

"He's the guy I met in Jaya!" Luffy exclaimed as he immediately recognized the man.

Blackbeard scanned over the group with an amused expression. "Well, this is an impressive group. We walked in on a pretty major incident, huh?"

The rest of Blackbeard's crew walked down the stairs to join their captain.

"Teach, what are you doing here!?" Jimbei demanded. "Or, I suppose it's Blackbeard now."

Luffy's eyes widened when he heard the name.

"I guess this is the Blackbeard that old woman mentioned back in Amazon Lily," Ultimate Swampfire mused.

"Jimbei, hey, hey, no need to be so violent. Mind loosening that fist of yours?" Blackbeard asked in a friendly voice. "Oh yeah, I heard Ace and you were good friends. But I'm not the one you should be blaming here." He began to laugh.

"Blackbeard!?" Luffy exclaimed as rage overtook him. "So you're...Blackbeard!?" He walked over to the other pirate until he was standing right in front of him. Ben could really see how Blackbeard towered over their captain. Luffy looked like small child compared to the treasonous pirate.

"Huh, I never introduced myself, did I?" Blackbeard asked in an amused tone. "Long time no see, Strawhat! I sure was surprised when I heard that you were Commander Ace's little brother. Shouldn't you be there? They're going to start soon, you know? Your brother's execution, that is!" He laughed again.

Luffy glared at Blackbeard, looking ready to punch the man across the room.

Blackbeard pointed at Crocodile. "From what I've heard, you're the one who took down the ex-Warlord Crocodile over there, Strawhat Luffy. Back then, when I was still trying to become a Warlord, I thought the best idea was to kill you and use that to prove my strength to the World Government."

Luffy narrowed his eyes at Blackbeard.

"But it seems fate was in your favor! Ace, who had been chasing me even since I broke the law of Whitebeard's ship, just happened to be your brother!" Blackbeard exclaimed. "Once he realized that we were planning on killing his little brother, he just had to fight us himself!"

Luffy's eyes widened at the revelation and all the color drained from his face.

Ben was equally as shocked.

"If he had let us go, not only would he have disgraced Whitebeard, but his brother would had been killed too!" Blackbeard continued with a wide grin on his face.

"There is no such thing as coincidence in one's fate," Van Augur, one of Blackbeard's men with a rifle on his back said. "Meaning..."

"You got lucky!" Doc Q, the sickly old man of the group finished.

"Now that the captain has become a Warlord, he has no need to take your life," Laffitte, a man in a top hat said.

"Your brother put up an admirable fight!" Jesus Burgess, one of the larger members of Blackbeard crew yelled.

"You should be thankful for Ace's interference," Blackbeard said almost cruelly, his grin never leaving his face. "If he hadn't interfered, the one dying today would be you, Strawhat!" He pointed right at Luffy, who was trembling in both rage and grief.

All this information was too much for Luffy and he immediately went into his Second Gear. His skin matched the burning rage within his heart.

"In that case...WHY DON'T YOU TRY KILLING ME NOW!" Luffy screamed in pure fury.

Apparently, Blackbeard was not expecting this strong of a reaction.

"Gum Gum Jet Pistol!" Luffy shouted as he slammed his fist into Blackbeard's stomach, sending the man flying across the room and into a nearby wall. The Warlord didn't know what hit him.

"Captain!" the Blackbeard Pirates yelled in dismay as their captain grabbed his head and screamed in anguish as he rolled across the floor.

"I'm not letting Ace die!" Luffy shouted as Blackbeard stood back up.

Blackbeard started to form a black mist as he readied himself for Luffy's next attack.

Luffy charged forward and prepared another punch.

Before he could make his move, Blackbeard sucked Luffy into what looked like a black hole in his hand. Luffy couldn't fight against the pull and he was now trapped in Blackbeard's grip.

When Blackbeard grabbed him, Luffy immediately lost his Second Gear. Blackbeard smiled viciously as he rammed Luffy into the floor, causing blood to fly out of the rubberman's mouth. Ben actually heard bones crack from the impact.

Now Luffy was the one rolling on the floor. He was screaming at the top of his lungs about how much it hurt.

Luffy eventually recovered and jumped away from Blackbeard. He looked baffled at what just happened as his Second Gear returned. The side of his head was bleeding badly.

"Blood?" Luffy whispered as he wiped his face.

Blackbeard laughed. "I can tell by your face that you have no idea what just happened. Your brother Ace had the same expression and that's how I won against him. You get it yet? Devil Fruit powers are useless against me!"

Before his tirade could continue, a blue fireball hit him in his chest.

"You want a challenge?" Ultimate Swampfire demanded, "Well, you've got one now!" in a flash of green light, he transformed back into Swampfire, then transformed again into Humungousaur and then another flash, "ULTIMATE HUMUNGOUSAUR!"

Before Blackbeard could respond, he was intercepted when Ultimate Humongosaur spun around, bringing his spiked tail in contact with the Warlord's face. The blow stunned him long enough for Ultimate Humongosaur to spin around again and deliver a wicked uppercut.

"Captain!" the other Blackbeard pirates shouted out, "Who the hell is that supposed to be?!"

"That's for Ace!" he yelled, before turning back into Humongosaur, then transforming again into Kickin' Hawk.

Blackbeard tried to punch him, but the bird-like alien nimbly dodge and kicked him in the stomach.

"That was for Luffy!" another flash, this time transforming into Gravattack.

The orange, rocky alien changed Blackbeard's gravity, sending him hurtling upwards to the ceiling, then increased the gravity a hundred-fold, smashing the General against the ground. Another flash, this time into NRG

Before Blackbeard could get up, NRG sent a concentrated beam of radiation right into his chest, making him scream in agony.

Another flash, into Spitter who was a green alien with a small body and a large head had opened its mouth and covered Blackbeard in disgusting goo, then transformed again into Ampfibian.

Ampfibian then sent a wave of electricity at Blackbeard; however, the goo from Spitter was extremely conductive, so the effect of the attack was greatly enhanced.

As Blackbeard fell to his knees, smoke rising from his body, Ampfibian transformed again into Rath and then another green flash, "ULTIMATE RATH!"

"Let me tell ya something, Blackbeard," Ultimate Rath shouted, "This is because I don't like you!"

Ultimate Rath grabbed Blackbeard's wrist and spun in a circle, building momentum before launching the Warlord into the air, then launched his missile-claws, sending Blackbeard even higher and then crashing back into the unforgiving ground. Ultimate Rath turned back into Rath and transformed one more time into Diamondhead.

"Hell yeah, Ben! So what if this bastard can stop Devil Fruits from working!? I'm still gonna kick his ass!" Luffy shouted at Blackbeard who sported many cuts, bruises, and burns from Ben's assault. He ran in to attack Blackbeard again, but was stopped by Jimbei intercepting him.

"Wait, Luffy-kun, stop! You too Ben-kun!" Jimbei yelled.

"Let me go!" Luffy screamed as he struggled to get free.

"I'm not letting this guy get away with what he's done!" Diamondhead shouted.

"This is not the time, just endure it!" Jimbei yelled reason to the hotheaded rubberman and shapeshifter. "What is more important here!? Ever since he was on Whitebeard's ship no has ever known his true nature. I do not know what tricks he used, but he certainly possesses the power to defeat even Ace! We cannot afford to waste time and energy here! If you two get carried away and fight him here, we will not have time to save Ace!"

This cooled Luffy down as he took several deep breaths. He allowed his Second Gear to dissipate. Right now, his brother's life meant more than vengeance.

After a few moments, Diamondhead nodded in agreement. They had bigger priorities right now.

Blackbeard despite his injuries, laughed again. "You're even stronger than I had imagined. Your Haki has increased too. As for you, that's a rather impressive ability you got there, is that supposed to be a type of Zoan Devil Fruit power or something else entirely?"

"If I told you, you probably wouldn't get it," Diamondhead replied.

"You said you are Blackbeard, right?" Crocodile asked with his arms crossed. "I have heard some no-name pirate from the Whitebeard's crew had taken my place among the Seven Warlords. It is not odd, however. Why would you, who have been called to Marine Headquarters, be down here now? You are pretty much throwing away the Warlord rank you wanted so badly."

Blackbeard laughed. "It's all a part of my plan. It's not like I'm obligated to tell you anything, Mister Crocodile."

"That is true and to be honest, I do not really care," Crocodile said in a bored voice.

"Pretty touchy, aren't you?" Blackbeard mused.

An explosion behind the two groups returned everyone to the fact that they were inside Impel Down.

"What's that!?" Bon Clay exclaimed.

"Magellan is here!" someone from the back yelled.

Everyone knew that they were in trouble.

"This is not good," Iva said, still in his female form. "Strawhat-boy, Ben-Boy, hurry up and go! If you're hit by any more of Magellan's poison, I won't be able to bring you back to life again!"

No one had to be told twice to run as the prisoners and the people of Newkama Land ran up the now cleared stairway.

Before Luffy joined them, he glared one last time at Blackbeard, who was still grinning cockily.

"You took out the guards blocking the staircase. That made things easier for us," Jimbei observed.

Blackbeard naturally laughed. "Well, you guys helped us out too. All this panic is a real convenience for us."

"I'm definitely going to save Ace!" Luffy yelled defiantly at Blackbeard.

Blackbeard laughed, but it wasn't a mocking laugh. "Sure, I won't say it's useless. After all, there's no such thing as impossible in this world."

Luffy began to walk passed Blackbeard, trying to control his temper.

"Sky Island did exist, didn't it?" Blackbeard suddenly asked, stopping Luffy. "One Piece is the same. It definitely exists!" He laughed one last time before walking away. "Look forward to seeing it too, you guys! In just a few hours, we will give you a show that will shake the world to its core!"

"What's with up with this guy?" Ben asked. "One minute he's mocking Luffy about his brother and the next he's encouraging him?"

"Do not bother with him, Luffy-kun, Ben-kun," Jimbei said in a gentle voice as he walked up the stairs. He too had to swallow his need for revenge.

Luffy and Ben eventually followed Jimbei as Blackbeard's laugh reverberated through the stone walls.

* * *

 _ **Ben's Universe**_

A lone planet hung in orbit.

It sat there, slowly rotating around the star that serves as the source of light for the planet and the solar system it lies within. From afar, it was a beautiful sight; a stark contrast from the cold, dark void of outer space with its teal-like color that would make those who were fortunate enough witness it gaze in awe at its beauty.

Taking a closer look onto the planet's surface, one would be amazed at what they find. The planet was teeming with rich organic life inhabiting the various mountain ranges, the large oceans and scattered inland seas, and the majestic architect of the cities that the planet's citizenry lived in.

But for all its beauty, the planet was feared by the warlord that ruled it.

Though many centuries have passed since then, no one, not even the Plumbers or the Galvan will deny the horrors that the warlord ruling the planet has wrought onto thousands of planets his lifetime of conquest. The warlord was one of the most dangerous beings in the universe, feared by all for his dangerously short temper, brutal war tactics, and his vast array of military resources. He conquered nearly a hundred solar systems on his own, destroyed thousands of planets with a single command, and even achieved godhood at one point.

The warlord was a massive, hulking, green skinned behemoth with a beard of what appeared to be squid-tentacles. He wore a large dark red armored suit that covered most of his body save for his muscular arms, while also baring a large sword on his back. He also had gas-mask-like device covering his face with glowing red eyes that just burnt with pure hatred and malice. The name of this deadly warlord… was Vilgax the Conqueror, the most dangerous being in Ben's home universe.

Currently, the Chimera Sui Generis warrior was sitting at the far end of a long table, its surface dark and smooth of the richest marble from space in a rather calm manner. Both hands were clasped together, and placed on top of the table's surface while his blood-red eyes scoured the other occupants sitting at the table in a cold, detached demeanor with the time traveler Eon and Time War mastermind, Maltruant by his side.

The other beings sitting at the table were some that was also renowned for their brutality, but not on Vilgax's level. However, that didn't make them any less dangerous. These beings consisted of criminals, monsters, and bounty hunters; the most ruthless of their kind. They got the job done no matter the cost, no matter the stakes, and no matter whatever armies or fleets that their targets threw at them. Though, they all had one thing in common, the single hatred of one man.

From left to right there was: Khyber the Huntsman with a male Anubian Baskarr as the new user of the Nemetrix, The psychotic Galvanic Mechamorph Malware, the mutated Cerebrocrustacean, Dr. Psychobos, Albedo who had now permanently returned to his Galvan form, The Sotoraggian mercenaries Sixsix, Sevenseven, and Eighteight, Kraab, Ultimate Aggregor and some of his Aggrebots, Darkstar, Highbreed Commander and some DNAliens, Dr. Animo, Zs'Skayr and his minions Dr. Viktor, The Mummy, The Yenaldooshi, Sunder the Retriever, Proctor Servantis and the Rooters, Vulkanus with some of his pickaxe aliens, Exo-Skull, Inspector 13, Driscoll now donning another Forever King power suit and his Forever Ninja, Bubble Helmet, Liam, Fistina, and finally an army of Synthroids.

"Gentlemen," Vilgax's deep and gargling voice rasped from behind his voice respirator. "I thank you for responding to my message and coming here. Truly, you are men who fears nothing as demonstrated by how you entered into my territories with little hesitation. But you probably care little for that, no? Yes, you're all wondering as to why I've called you to here, right?"

"Enough with the preamble, Vilgax," Khyber growled, not one for monologues or villainous speeches. He was a man of action. "You promised to show us something special and so far, all I've seen is your own people groveling under your heel and your pitiful drone soldiers attempting to contain my pet. In all honesty, I've seen better."

Kraab nodded stiffly, clenching his massive claw-hand. "Yeah, what's this all about? Don't tell me that you brought me here for another wild chase like the last one you sent me out on?"

"And why should we even bother listening to filth like you at all?" Highbreed Commander said.

Vilgax's eyes narrowed, but his demeanor did not change. "It would be wise for you three to keep your mouth shut. It would be a shame if this room was covered in some unnecessary… _garbage,_ " The threat was obvious in his tone, and the three intergalactic criminals didn't try to provoke the warlord any further. "As to why I have summoned you all here, I have recently developed a proposition for any willing to accept."

"What kind of proposition?" Sunder asked, acting calm on the outside, while he was sweating bullets on in the inside. Honestly, he wasn't expecting be in an audience with _the_ actual Vilgax and the reputation that follows his name is not one that is exaggerated lightly.

If they could see his mouth behind his mask, they would've seen Vilgax's charred lips grow into what one would call a grotesque ghost of a smile. "Tell me, are any of you familiar with the concept of parallel universes?"

Silence... and then-

Sixsix, in a rare moment of anger, slammed his fist on the table, cracking its rich surface while spewing out various curses in his native language toward Vilgax.

"Can't believe I'm saying it, but for once, I agree with the motormouth over there!" Vulkanus exclaimed. "Like seriously? That's only some bogus theory, nothing's ever been proven."

"I assure you Herr Vulkanus, that they are quite real," Maltruant chimed in, "I am living proof that such a concept exists."

"Indeed, now if there aren't any further interruptions," Vilgax state. "We can begin."

He leaned forward to push several buttons on a console imbedded into the table, and a small holographic image of the planet Earth appeared in the center of the table. Small and insignificant to some, but in Vilgax's eyes, it was a gold mine. "Behold, a parallel Earth; The current location of our most hated enemy, Ben Tennyson and also tw of the most powerful weapons ever forged. Weapons that most of you are already familiar with, the Anihilaarg and the Dwarf Star."

That caught Khyber's attention. "Ben Tennyson, you say?" he rumbled, tapping one clawed finger on the table, musing to himself. "I've heard that he's gotten even more powerful since my last encounter with him over a decade ago."

"I concur, Huntsman, Even after having all of his alien form's moves programmed into my DNA, he still found a way to defeat me."

"And the destructive capabilities that both the Dwarf Star and the Anihilaarg possess is just too worthwhile to ignore," Dr. Psychobos mused, an ever present grin on his face.

"Okay, so what the hell's the job? Another hunt for that fleshbag again, cause let me tell you, it won't be easy." Kraab warned Vilgax. _"_ The first time I fought against him, he shut down my entire nervous system and it took me weeks to break out of the prison that Tetrax imprisoned me and Sixisix in." Sixsix snarled in agreement.

"No, gentlemen, I have not contacted you to undertake in another fruitless hunt," Vilgax raised one fist and clenched it tightly. "Today, I have brought you all together to discuss about one particular topic…

"War."

"War?" Aggregor said slowly after an awkward moment of silence.

"That's right," Vilgax slowly sat up from his chair, his body's servos make a low whirring sound, as he locked eyes with every being before him. "Imagine it; Glorious, unadulterated carnage. The screams of countless innocents being silenced in a single instance, the sounds of entire armies trampling over the corpses of their fallen enemies, and wealth and power beyond your wildest dreams."

"By conquering a single planet that's not even in our universe?" Malware questioned.

"It may be just a planet, but it is also our first step into a larger world," Vilgax said. "Into a universe of epic proportions, into an entire multiverse primed for the taking."

The villains paused at that statement, mulling over the warlord's grandiose words. While the logical portion of their brains were telling them what Vilgax really meant – subjugating the entire universe under _his_ rule. That part of their brain was ruled out by several other domineering portions; Greed, bloodlust, and desire for power. Normally, had someone of lesser power approached them with the same offer, they would've laughed at them before putting a blaster bolt through their skull or ripped them in half.

But this was Vilgax, the man who practically held the Alliance by the throat before they were a twinkle in their father's eye.

"If we agree to your proposition," Khyber slowly said. "What's in it for us after you acquire the Omnitrix?"

Vilgax's eyes crinkled at that question. "You will each hold a position in my army, and shall become warlords of your own kingdoms as I carve my way through to the heart of the Nexus. Think of it, entire worlds bending over to your whim, a never-ending cycle of death and destruction to entertain you for all eternity."

He placed an open palm out toward them. "All I need is your cooperation."

...

"Probability of success with someone of your tactical prowess holds the probability of a calculated 98 percent chance of success." Inspector 13, in a moment of surprise, was the first to speak up. "Little to no chance of failure is possible. Proposal is accepted."

Others like Aggregor, Albedo, Zs'skayr, and Khyber quietly nodded, an unreadable expression on each of their faces.

Sunder chucked aloud, leaning back on his chair and placing his feet on the table. "Ah, what the hell? I could use a good challenge. Sign me up, oh great master of the universe."

The Sotoraggian mercenaries growled in their native tongue, but stopped mid-way and then managed to hiss out in obvious strain. _"…We accept."_ in English.

Vulkanus was one of those who were more reluctant of this offer, but he then decided that he would rather have his brains inside his head then out.

Despite his hatred for all aliens, there was one man that Driscoll despised even more, "You'll will have my aid in this conquest, Vilgax."

Malware chuckled darkly, "Yes, a chance to finally put the bane of my very existence in his place."

Servantis thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to finally be rid of Tennyson once and for all, even if it meant allying himself with vicious scum like Vilgax. Though he knew better than to say it out loud.

The Highbreed Commander would rather die than ally himself with inferior life forms but it was because of Tennyson's efforts that his entire race became contaminated and their plans for conquest foiled. So, if tolerating these disgusting vermin meant he could enact his revenge on the one responsible for the collapse of the Highbreed empire, then so be it.

Kraab looked unsure for his part, and for a moment, Vilgax mused to himself if he had to kill the cyborg for being foolish enough to deny his offer.

"…fine, I'm in." He reluctantly conceded.

"Good, good," Vilgax couldn't keep the satisfaction out of his voice. "You should be honored, gentlemen. It's not every day that someone of your caliber gets picked up to take on the responsibilities of a mission like this."

The villains, for their part, said nothing else. They were just waiting for the word to leave the room whenever.

A sudden beeping noise broke the tense atmosphere in the room, and Vilgax leaned forward to stab down on a button with one of his talons. Almost immediately, the holographic image of a skeletal alien in black robes appeared before him. "What is it?"

" _The final preparations for departure goes well, master."_ Psyphon, second-in-command and Vilgax's loyal servant, bowed his horned head obediently to the warlord. _"The Chimerian Hammer Mark V's captain reports that all is ready for takeoff and the drones are being rounded up into their designated warships. They're just waiting for your word, milord."_

"Good," Vilgax purred in pleasure. "Open up a channel link to the entire armada. I would like to take this time to share a few words before we begin our exodus."

Psyphon bowed again, before his image disappeared.

"Come," Vilgax commanded, turning to walk out without waiting for the villains' approval. The villains glanced at one another in wariness, before stepping out of their chairs and deciding to follow the warlord wherever he was taking them.

It wasn't a long walk that took them to the planet's outskirts or anything like that. In fact, they stayed right inside the palace as they explored its halls, taking the time to analyze their surroundings and note the various decors placed all over the place, each piece obviously a prize claimed by Vilgax after conquering planets. After what seemed like minutes, Vilgax came to a halt before a door and pushed in a code before the door slid open and a bright light filled the room.

Once the light died down, the villains saw that Vilgax had walked through the entrance and was now standing on a balcony of some kind. They stopped behind the warlord, who placed both hands on the balcony's railing to peer down at whatever was below with a look that one could closely identify as pride. Curious, the villains strode forward and was impressed at what they saw. Tens of thousands of humanoid war drones stood at attention, while others marched onto the large brown-and-orange ships that carried them, along with gigantic versions of the standard drone soldier, flying drones, insectoid drones, and sleek hover-tanks.

Sunder whistled lowly. "Wow. That's a lot of robots."

"One does not take war lightly," Vilgax mused, mostly to himself. "A simple error, be it tactical or in numbers of an army, could cost us the war before the first shot is let off."

Vilgax lifted a hand to touch the communicator imbedded into his right wrist. "Psyphon, is it ready?"

" _Yes, master,"_ Psyphon's voice crackled into existence. _"All ships have been linked up with your communicator and the dimensional gateway that Maltruant provided is now ready to be activated. The floor is all yours."_

Vilgax paused for a moment, staring at the device, before he started to speak…

"My loyal subordinates... today, we stand on the brink of greatness. For years, the universe has trembled before the sheer mention of my name, and yet, there are those who dare to oppose me. Millions of light years away from here lies a planet that you've all studied about for the past twenty years. This planet has seen many of my most embarrassing defeats and the destruction of a great number of our forces thanks to one of its many champions; one man who has secured the most ultimate power in the universe, and has chosen to use it as a mere plaything for his pathetic desires to do good. These atrocities cannot go without repent! I have spent too long and have sacrificed too much in trying to unite all under a single banner, _my_ banner, and I refuse to admit defeat to a pathetic human who has no idea of the power that I possess. Today, we will change this. Today marks the day that my great crusade begins! Today marks the day that all worlds bend to my will, whether they be the Plumbers or the Galvan. All will submit itself to my will! Today is the day that all of existence will burn, that all its people will die, and all who dare oppose me... will fall."

Vilgax paused for a moment before resuming with a loud booming voice, "... FINALLY, BEN TENNYSON WILL DIE AND THE OMNITRIX WILL RETURN TO ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER! I, VILGAX THE CONQUEROR, SHALL EMERGE VICTORIOUS ON THIS DAY ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

From where he stood, Vilgax could hear the monotone chants of the machines created to do his bidding who were onboard his warships. They repeated the same words, over and over, as it had been programmed into each of their memory cores since their creation.

 _"ALL HAIL LORD VILGAX! ALL HAIL LORD VILGAX! ALL HAIL LORD VILGAX!"_

"Say what you will about him," Eon murmured to the others. "But he knows how to motivate the crowd."

Kraab shook his head in bemusement. "I'd hate to be whatever this parallel Earth is right about now. Nothing's more threatening than a hunter that has been denied its prey for too long."

Satisfied by the response given to him by his minions, Vilgax turned to face his newly-assembled hired help and barked out, "If any of you has a form of transportation on-planet right now, it would be wise to get into orbit soon… or else."

The villains left, not daring to call Vilgax out on his threat.

Turning back to face the warships that were beginning to lift off of the ground and take off to the stars above, Vilgax took in a deep breath through his respirator and smirked to himself.

 _'Prepare yourself, Ben Tennyson, for I am coming for you...'_

* * *

 _ **AN: Okay, that's all for now. This is the longest chapter so far as I want to get to Marineford as soon as possible I hope you liked Ben and Luffy's battle with Blackbeard. Also, That's quite a cabal of villains we've got here, they're going need all the manpower they can get if Vilgax wants take on the One Piece world. Speaking of Vilgax, his appearance is the exactly the same as it was in the original series but he has the same powers that his future counterpart does plus the same sword and weapons from AF/UA. Expect things to go a little differently than canon in the next arc. So see you next time.**_


	11. Thank You

_**AN: Here's the newest chapter. I appreciate all the great feedback I've gotten for this story.**_

* * *

 _ **Impel Down**_

Not too far away, Magellan is running to the stairway to Level 3.

"Warden Magellan! Blackbeard has appeared at the gate to Level 3!"

"What?!" Magellan questioned in shock. "But I thought Shiryu was supposed to deal with Blackbeard! Don't tell me he was defeated!"

Suddenly, the Mini-Transponder Snail in a guard's hand rang.

 _" **This is the monitoring room!"**_

"What is it?"

* * *

In the monitoring room, it looked like the whole place had been trashed. The screens are busted, and some of the guards have either been knocked unconscious…or killed.

"We've got trouble, sir!" said one of the guards. "The Video Receiving Transponder Snail has been destroyed! We've lost all our video feeds, and all communications with Marine Headquarters and other Government facilities have been severed! We're cute off- GAH!"

 _" **Hey! What's going on?! What's happening, over there?! Who did that?! Hello?! HELLO?!"**_

Behind the dead guard stood Shiryu, his blade bloody, and a grin upon his face.

"Don't be a tattletale," said Shiryu. "You'll get Magellan on my ass, again."

* * *

Back at Level 4, Magellan and the jailers are still running to the stairs to Level 3.

"Communications have been-"

"Send someone to confirm what's happening there!" Magellan ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

"This is bad," Magellan thought aloud. "If Blackbeard has reached this Hell, then he must've crashed through the gate on Level 2! Nothing is going our way! How could two intruders spark all this mayhem and chaos?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sadie is dangling above the floor by a rope, her body arched to the point where her back might snap.

"Mmmm~, Warden!" she cried. "Help me!"

"Sadie!" Magellan said.

"That damned Ivankov, mmmm~, did this to me!" Sadie yelled. "This is insulting! Life isn't worth living if I'M not the inflicting the pain!"

"Get her down," Magellan ordered the guards.

"Yes, sir!"

At that moment, Magellan noticed the Blackbeard Pirates approaching.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "So, you're Magellan."

"And you must be Teach, better known as 'Blackbeard'," said Magellan.

"That's right!" Blackbeard answered.

"HYDRA!"

To the Blackbeard Pirates' surprise, one of the heads from Magellan's Hydra attack chomped down on the crew. Soon, the crew is drenched in the poison.

"Ah…AAAAAAAAHH!" Blackbeard screamed in agony. "IT BUUUUUURRNS!"

"I've neither the time nor the inclination to ask you why you're here," said Magellan.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH! What the hell is this stuff?! Poison?! AGH!"

Magellan looked down and spotted Hannyabal on the floor, still unconscious.

"Hannyabal," said Magellan. "You did well holding them back for so long."

"Vice-Warden Hannyabal!" cried one of the guards as some of them ran to his aid.

"Look at all this blood!"

"Quick! He needs medical attention! STAT!"

"I'll take it from here, Hannyabal," said Magellan as he stalked off toward the stairway to Level 3. "Until then, try not to die…because you are the only one…fit to succeed me!"

Now, if Hannyabal was conscious, he'd be overwhelmed shock and joy, but since he was currently knocked out, that wasn't the case.

* * *

 _ **Space**_

High in the Earth 's orbit, a swirling blue vortex opened up. Out of the vortex came an enormous alien battleship that soon circled the parallel world in a smooth matter. The commander of the ship, Lord Vilgax, conqueror of galaxies, stands at the bridge or command center of the entire vessel. Assortments of computer consoles, buttons, and sensors are positioned all in the front and left and right sides of the room. A team of ten reddish orange colored bio drones are manning the monitors and keeping the ships functions running.

A walkway splits the room in half and ends at the front end of the bridge, which is an incredibly strong see through wall. The room itself is dark and dimly lit with crimson light thanks to the lighting at the edges of the walkway and the computer terminals. The so called, "most dangerous being in the universe" stands tall at the end of the walkway, overlooking the bright blue orb below.

The black, red trimmed mask covering his mouth hid an anxious, disgusted scowl. Nevertheless, even though his mouth is covered, his emotions can still be perceived through his cold, evil red eyes. Vilgax had lost all reminisce of remorse, morality, or anything good long ago. What is left now is a brutal, malicious beast with a hunger to kill and conquer.

He has already conquered many galaxies in his lifetime, but that still just isn't enough for him. The dark lord now has his sights set on this alternate Earth. By conquering or maybe even destroying this primitive, backwater world, it will put Vilgax in prime position to vanquish and subjugate the rest of the multiverse as he saw fit.

The ruler of over fifty million worlds stands alone with his hands behind his back. Black and red armor plating adorns his legs, torso, and chest. Only his head and arms are exposed. Nonetheless, it makes little difference considering the cybernetic enhancements have strengthened his body close to invulnerability.

His skin color was a mixture of greenish white and normal green in some places. Black cylinder like bolts protrudes from his arms and wrists. With one mental command, the bolts start pumping some form of boost steroids into his body; adding to his already immense strength and agility.

A golden gauntlet like device with a yellow gem on top (the Shield of Ziegel) titivates on his left wrist. While a powerful sword in a black sheathe hangs from his back. These relics were gained from the a couple heroes who lived on one of the world's Vilgax and his armada have already enslaved decades ago. The green lord had to admit though that the final battle with those individuals was a hard fought one; however Vilgax still came up on top in the end.

The dark lord's mind wanders off to the Omnitrix and its wielder. To say Vilgax isn't repulsed that the most legendary piece of technology is on the wrist of a human would be an obvious lie. Still, after witnessing Tennyson's ingenuity with the Omnitrix over the years he had fought him, the powerful warlord inwardly divulged his impressions.

Nevertheless, Vilgax still sees the Omnitrix as his and that man is an obstacle in his plans for universal conquest. Vilgax decided that Tennyson must die after the Omnitrix is extracted from his wrist. After all, he has been a pain in his side for over the past twenty years.

Suddenly, the sliding doors to the bridge entrance opened. Psyphon and a probe drone that had the appearance of a black/red, four spiked hovering ball, entered the command center. Vilgax's second-in-command walked steadily down the dimly lit walkway with the ebony sphere floating next to him. They stopped about ten feet behind Vilgax.

Pysphon got on one knee in respect. "Master."

The warlord still looks out the window, not even looking at his servants.

"Pysphon, you better have some form of good news." Vilgax hissed in a deep, raspy voice.

"Well…I…um… the probe drones have detected something that I believe you should know about." The white and black marked alien explained.

He turned his head to focus his gaze on the duo.

"Which is?" Vilgax demanded.

The probe drone projected a hologram of the Earth. A familiar green hourglass symbol was steadily on the move. Another hologram appeared above the Earth. This time it was the image of Tennyson's battle with Blackbeard in what appeared to be a prison. This indeed caught Vilgax's attention.

"What is this?"

"This my liege, what Tennyson has been up to. While the probe drones have been monitoring every spec of the Earth for Ben Tennyson, it has also been collecting data on this world and its inhabitants." Psyphon explained. "It wasn't until a few minutes ago that its sensors bypassed through this prison and allowing us to track the Omnitrix's signal."

"Do you have identification of the humans that Tennyson has allied himself with?"

"Judging by the abilities they have displayed, we have determined that this is the work of a…Devil Fruit. The ones that Maltruant had informed us of," Psyphon answered.

At that moment, Vilgax's red eyes widen a bit from slight shock. "Devil Fruit? Intriguing. What exactly are the capabilities of these fruits?"

"Well, my lord, it appears that they have the ability to bestow a permanent power on whoever eats one."

The probe drone beamed another hologram of a slide displaying images of various fruits that a had a strange swirl-like pattern on them and a slide of information. Vilgax stepped closer to read the fast moving data. His eyes widen a bit for every second that he read through information.

"So, those humans Tennyson was with. They possess these Devil Fruits that grant them extraordinary abilities."

Vilgax let out a frustrated and angry growl as he listened to the human called Blackbeard's speech that made Pysphon and several drones take a step back.

"Those filthy humans would dare set out to conquer this world? A world that I have already planned to add to my empire! This will not be tolerated!" The powerful warlord bellowed.

Every occupant in the bridge had their attention focused on their master. The ugly, green warlord reverted his eyes towards his techno-organic servants by the computer terminals.

"Drones, increase our cloaking field to the maximum setting and set our course for this backwater prison. **"** He ordered.

They immediately turned their attention back towards the terminals and began to type frankly. Then, the sixty foot tall killer being turned returned his eyes towards Psyphon.

"Psyphon…ready a team from my alliance and an army of drones." Vilgax spoke before he walked pass his subordinates.

"As you wish my lord, but may I ask what you plan on doing." Psyphon asked as the p discontinued his previous holograms and replaced them with a holo-keyboard in front of Psyphon.

Vilgax stopped before he reached the door. He was thinking of the Omnitrix, his plans to use it, and to raze this Earth to the ground and conquer the multiverse . He realized that if he was going to accomplish these tasks then this Blackbeard and his crew must be dealt with immediately; for they are indeed an obstacle in his way.

"I'm eliminating the competition, Psyphon." The dark lord hissed before he exited the bridge.

The orange, red, and black warship descended from Earth's orbit and into the upper atmosphere. The alien battleship declined it's altitude until it reached the stratosphere. At that point, Vilgax's vessel leveled out as set its course for the Calm Belt, the location of the underwater prison.

* * *

 _ **Level 4**_

Just as Luffy managed to pry himself away from Blackbeard and his crew, he was annoyed to find that their escape route was obstructed again. Blocking their way to Level 3 was an reawakened Minotaur, who was roaring fiercely at the escaped prisoners. The Minotaur was bandaged in several areas, but it appeared to be fully back in fighting shape.

Both the prisoners and the people of the Newkama Land stood completely still, not sure how to handle the Demon Beast.

Seeing Blackbeard and hearing what he did to his brother put Luffy in a really foul mood, to put it mildly, and the rubberman was in no mood to screw around with the giant cow. Without any fear or hesitation, Luffy walked right up to the Minotaur.

Even Ben felt a pang of pity for the beast. It picked a bad time to mess with Luffy.

The creature attempted to smash Luffy with its club, but Luffy's rubber body absorbed the blow. Luffy went into his Gear Second and hit the Demon Guard with a Jet Pistol to the gut. The creature was sent soaring across the staircase and slammed into a nearby wall, embedding its body into it. Needless to say, the fight was over.

"Ace!" Luffy screamed when he completed his punch.

With the path completely cleared, the group of escapees charge up the stairs. They were halfway up when they heard a loud roar behind them.

"STRAWHAT!" Magellan bellowed in rage. His loud voice shook the stairway.

"Who's that? Is that Magellan's voice!?" someone exclaimed in terror.

"He's at the bottom of the stairs! If he catches us, we're finished!" someone else yelled.

The announcement of Magellan's presence sucked the air out of everyone, including Jimbei and Crocodile. Even Ben and Luffy looked worried as he glanced down the stairs.

"How is Magellan behind us?" Ben asked. "I thought that creep Blackbeard would keep him busy. I doubt that the Warden would simply let them pass that easily."

"Could Magellan have taken out the Blackbeard Pirates?" Crocodile asked.

"I doubt that's the case," Jimbei replied, "Teach has proven to be a rather tenacious adversary. He did defeat Ace after all despite being one of Whitebeard's top men."

"Magellan does have a very potent ability," Ben pointed out. "He could have disabled the crew with one of those giant Hydras. I mean, Luffy was left crippled in pain just by touching that guy's poison."

"Let's hope you're right, Ben-kun," replied Jimbei.

The group finally reached Level 3, but Magellan was right at their backs as several Hydras' heads chased after them. The Hydras 'ate' several prisoners, reducing the group numbers.

"Straw-chan, don't look back!" Bon Clay yelled. "Keep running!"

Luffy didn't have to be told twice as he kept running at his top speed. After what happened last time, he wanted nothing to do with the warden.

Iva stopped and pointed towards the staircase that lead to Level 2. "Get moving!"

All the prisoners and Newkama Land people ran past Iva in almost a blind panic. Luffy barely spared Iva a second glance as he ran up the flight of stairs.

Strangely, Magellan had stopped following them along with his Hydras. There was also a loud crash that followed after they reached the second level, but no one bothered to turn around to see what had happened.

Unlike the Level 4, the security was light. There were next to no guards in the area and all was quiet, although the floors were damaged, as though some kind of riot had happened. There was also residue of poison clinging to the floors and walls. Magellan had definitely been up here.

Still, no one bothered to question the silence or the lack of security. After all they had been through, everyone was just grateful for the small mercy.

Luffy was well into Level 2 before the beasts of the floor attempted to eat him. Some of the prisoners weren't as lucky as they were attacked and consumed by the monsters on the floor.

The prisoners screamed for help as they were eaten alive, but no one stopped to assist them. At this point, everyone was in survival mode and those who fell behind were left for dead. Even Ben with his normally heroic heart barely spared a second look to the prisoners who fell to the beasts of Hell.

"That's weird, the poison guy was right behind us a second ago," Luffy said as he glanced behind him.

"Iva and Inazuma stopped him at the stairway!" Bon Clay yelled as he fought the beasts who were attempting to maul him.

Ben and Luffy stopped running as the full impact of Bon Clay's words hit them. "Then, they're fighting the poison guy now!? Let's go back!"

"Stop kidding around!" Bon Clay yelled harshly as he cut Luffy off. "If they're fighting, then that makes it all the more important for us to move forward! Let's believe in the power of the Miracle Worker!"

Ben scowled, not liking the idea of leaving his friends behind. Especially those who saved their lives. However, Ben forced himself to move forward.

There had definitely been a riot, given the damage in the area, but that had to have been hours ago. The poison that was left behind was fairly recent and she found it unlikely that Magellan executed everyone on the floor.

"Battleships and prison ships are stationed all around the prison!" Jimbei yelled to Luffy. He was now running next to the rubberman. "If we can hijack one of them, we should be able to reach Marineford before Ace is executed!"

"Right!" Luffy yelled. He turned his eyes forward and seemed to be staring into the distance. "Wait for me, Ace!"

"Hm, I doubt it would be that easy," Ben said.

The remainder of the run through Level 2 was uneventful and the group reached Level 1.

Once the group reached the main floor of Level 1, Luffy's group was met by some unexpected people. Namely, Buggy and Mr. 3 were there, along with dozens of other prisoners. There had to be least one hundred people.

"How did they get all the way back to Level 1?" Ben asked in surprise.

Although, he couldn't help being impressed. It took two Warlords and members of the Revolutionary Army along with dozens of prisoners for them just to get this far. Then again, Ben and Luffy did have the might of all of Hell down their backs.

Buggy, Mr. 3, and the other prisoners were not the only ones in the hall. The Demon Guards, all four of them, were back but they were easily dealt with by Ben who had transformed into Four Arms, Luffy and Jimbei.

"Sheesh, what does it take to keep these things down?" Four Arms asked as he looked over the unconscious Demon Guards. "How did they even get up here so freaking fast? I swear Luffy laid that Minotaur's butt not even ten minutes ago."

"They're like cockroaches," Jimbei muttered.

"What a relief! So, you guys are alright!" Luffy yelled happily when he noticed Buggy and Mr. 3.

The two former enemies were very surprised that Luffy was concerned about them, especially after they had abandoned him twice. They were also quite surprised that Luffy was even still alive. They apparently knew about Luffy being fatally poisoned.

"Hydra!" a voice screamed as three Hydras' heads suddenly shot out of the stairway. Slowly walking up the long stairway was none other than Magellan. He appeared to be hurt from his battle with Iva, but there was nothing too serious.

The prisoners and the people of Newkama Land ran in terror from the warden.

"Now that I am done with the pervert boss, my new priority is to take care of the two of you!" Magellan exclaimed as poison oozed from his body. He had his glare fixed right on Ben and Luffy.

"Magellan!" Mr. 3 screamed in a high-pitched voice. It looked like he was about to wet himself in fear.

"No!" Bon Clay shouted in disbelief. "Iva and Inazuma...!?"

Luffy shook in fury at the loss of his companions. "Dammit!" he screamed as he ran towards Magellan.

Bon Clay quickly interrupted him. "You can't, Straw-chan! We got no choice but to run from Magellan!"

"Let go of me, Bon Clay!" Luffy yelled. "I'm going to kick his ass!" He attempted push his way past Bon Clay.

"You almost died because of him, remember!?" Bon Clay yelled in frustration.

"But I'm still alive, aren't I!?" Luffy challenged.

This caused Ben to slap his forehead.

"Completely missing the point, Luffy," Ben groaned under his breath.

"Miracles are called that because they won't happen twice, you know!" Bon Clay screamed.

"You three, hurry up to the next floor!" Jimbei ordered as he ran towards the feuding men. He appeared panicked for some reason. The crew knew that something very wrong had happened.

Luffy still wasn't listening as he glared at the approaching warden.

"Luffy-kun, Ben-kun!" Jimbei yelled, finally getting Luffy's attention. "We must hurry to the main entrance! The situation has gotten worse. We have been too focused on Magellan!"

Ben tilted his head. What did he mean that the situation has gotten worse?

Several of the Newkama Land people shot at Magellan, but the warden's poison was so potent that it dissolved their bullets before they could even touch his body.

"Come on, let's hurry and get going, Straw-chan!" Bon Clay yelled desperately at his friend. "They won't be able to stop him like that!"

"Hurry, Luffy-kun!" Jimbei yelled.

Luffy finally got the message and ran from Magellan. A Hydra, however, was right behind him and was ready to engulf him. Before it could hit, Mr. 3 shielded Luffy with a wall of wax. Amazingly, the wall held, stopping the poison in its tracks.

"Three!" Luffy yelled in surprise.

"He stopped Magellan's Hydra!" some prisoners cheered.

"Wax beats poison, who knew?" Ben humored.

"That optimism of yours makes me want to puke," Mr. 3 said as he gritted his teeth. "The second I put my guard down, I started to think of you as a friend! Sheesh, I hate being indebted to others!"

Most of Luffy's group were surprised by Mr. 3's words about friendship. It was the last thing they expected from him.

"I see. Wax, huh?" Magellan asked. He sounded more than a little annoyed by the distraction.

"That is right," Mr. 3 said, getting back his cocky manner. "I am a candleman. Your poison will never be able to pass through my hard-as-steel wax wall!"

"So, even rubbish like him is useful," Crocodile mused. "You never know how suitable some powers can be."

"Now hurry up and go!" Mr. 3 yelled. "I give up quickly, you know!"

"Three!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

"How irritating," Magellan said as he sent a Hydra's head around the wax wall, but Mr. 3 blocked him by creating another wall.

"This is no time to hesitate! I cannot hold him back for long!" Mr. 3 yelled.

"Right, then we'll get going!" Buggy yelled as he raised his arm. "Let's go, men!"

The other prisoners cheered as they followed Buggy toward the main gate.

"Were you always this good?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, as long as I am not on a hot floor! Now all of you hurry up and get out!" Mr. 3 yelled. "I want to escape too, you know!"

"Luffy-kun, we must hurry as well," Jimbei said.

"Oh yeah, you said you were going to steal a ship," Luffy said.

"I did," Jimbei replied.

"Then you and others should go on ahead," Ben said. "We'll be stopping Magellan in the meanwhile. I mean, it's hard to steal a ship while he's chasing us."

Jimbei thought about Ben's statement for a moment. "Yes, that is true."

Luffy began to smile. "I've got an idea."

"Does it stand a chance?" Jimbei asked. He did not exactly sound convinced.

"Yeah, leave it to me," Luffy assured.

"I understand. Just do not do anything reckless," Jimbei warned as he ran to join the others.

Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Right, Ben and Three. Let's fight together!"

"No, that is wrong! I have no intentions of fighting!" Mr. 3 screamed. "My only intention was to guard us the best I could and run!"

"Brother Three, we're staying behind to help!" several prisoners yelled as they ran towards the duo with large cannons that they got from somewhere.

"I am telling you, I am not that motivated!" Mr. 3 screamed in near panic.

Luffy grabbed Mr. 3 by his shoulder. "I got a favor to ask."

"Listen to what I am saying!" Mr. 3 screamed, but it was all in vain.

"I want you to make a suit of armor for me like the one you made in Little Garden," Luffy said. "Can you do that?"

"It...should not be too hard," Mr. 3 said in thought. He calmed down, knowing that he wouldn't be fighting directly.

"Right, I'm counting on you," Luffy said as he stepped in front of Mr. 3.

"Very well!" Mr. 3 exclaimed as he began to fashion Luffy a wax suit of armor that covered his legs and arms.

When it was complete, Luffy's hands were completely covered in wax, which was shaped like boxing gloves, and the wax on his legs was shaped like a mecha's. Luffy looked like a wax cyborg.

Ben had a blank stare. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

"Right, if I used this..." Luffy stopped mid-sentence as he looked at himself. His eyes lit up and his mouth dropped. "This…is just too cool! IT'S PERFECT!"

Even the prisoners cheered at Luffy's awesomeness.

"Pay attention to what's in front of you!" Mr. 3 shouted in impatiently.

Magellan was obviously irritated by the entire scene.

"The tears...won't stop..." Luffy sniffled as he cried in joy. He attempted vainly to wipe his eyes. "Thank you for making me look so awesome!"

"Is this seriously the time Luffy?!" Ben shouted.

"Like I care! Hurry up and fight him!" Mr. 3 screamed.

"Strawhat, if nothing else, I must praise your tenacity," Magellan said.

"What happened to Iva and Crab-chan!?" Luffy demanded, finally getting his head back in the game.

"Oh, you mean Ivankov?" Magellan asked in a neutral voice. "I executed him, of course."

Luffy growled at the warden while Ben's fists clenched as he transformed into to Heatblast.

"Do not worry, I will send the two of you to see him shortly," Magellan said as he created more Hydras. He sent one of the Hydras towards the duo, but Mr. 3 shielded them with a wax wall.

"No matter how many times you try, it will not work!" Mr. 3 yelled in defiance.

Heatblast unleashed a wave of flame that reduced two of the Hydras into a puddle, much to Magellan's displeasure.

Luffy jumped over the wall and charged Magellan. The poison user sent wave after wave of Hydras at Luffy, but the boy captain managed to avoid each one with little difficulty.

"Gum Gum Champion Rifle!" Luffy screamed as he hit Magellan with his wax-enhanced punches.

Magellan doubled over from the punch and was sent trembling back. The warden glared daggers at Luffy.

"Alright, I can touch him now!" Luffy cheered as he pumped his arms in triumph.

"Glad to know that armor wasn't for show," Heatblast said.

"We've got the cannons ready here!" one of the prisoners yelled.

"The candle wall will shield us!" another prisoner shouted.

Behind Luffy, the prisoners were lined up and their cannons were shielded with Mr. 3's wax wall. They were all more than eager to payback the warden for years of torture and terror.

In a matter of seconds, Magellan was bombarded with dozens of cannonballs on top of Luffy attacking him. The warden was on the defense as he attempted to strive off the merciless assault.

Magellan started to use his Hydras to eat the cannonballs before they reached him while he personally battled Luffy and Heatblast.

Luffy used his enhanced Gatling Gun to punch through one of Magellan's Hydras and attack the warden directly with Heatblast throwing numerous fireballs that knocked the warden back. Magellan took dozen of hits but remained standing. Luffy's last punch was able knock the wind out of him, however.

"How's that?" Luffy asked with a huge grin.

Magellan was on his knees and he glared hatefully at both Luffy and Heatblast. The man's anger was so intense that everyone present could practically feel it. Still, he kept an overall calm composure. He knew he still had the upper hand.

"Alright, he's almost finished!" someone yelled with sadistic glee.

"Take this, you bastard!" a prisoner screamed as they fired on Magellan again, attempting to finish him off.

Magellan was once again pummeled with dozens of cannonballs as the prisoners mercilessly shot at him. He soon became obscured by smoke, blocking everyone's view of him.

The cannon fire went on for several more minutes and it only ceased once the prisoners had run out of ammo. It was impossible to see Magellan's form since everything was covered in smoke.

"Is he down?" a prisoner asked.

Heatblast snorted. "He wouldn't be the warden if he went down just from that."

"Let us put an end to this pointless stalling," Magellan said as he stood up. His silhouette could be seen through the smoke. He really looked like a risen demon. "I have already ordered all the battleships to leave Impel Down. The battleship you were planning on stealing is already gone!"

"So that's your plan. It would almost be perfect if Jimbei wasn't our side," Heatblast said with a smirk.

"Yeah, that old fishman guy went to steal one of the battleships!" Luffy yelled, "They'll find a way to do it!"

"Jimbei, huh? Then it is all the more important that I finish this quickly!" Magellan exclaimed. He knocked the dust away from him, revealing his full form. He barely looked hurt despite all the ruthless attacks he had taken.

Without a word, the poison that covered Magellan's body started to turn a reddish purple and the warden seemed to glow in the dim light of the prison.

"Huh, what he's doing?" a prisoner asked worriedly.

Heatblast glanced at the floor and noticed that steam was rising from it.

"Gum Gum Champion Stomp!" Luffy yelled as he kicked Magellan in the chest.

The steel-hardened wax melted upon impact with the poison. The poison also began to spread up the wax like a virus as Luffy kicked himself away from the warden.

"It is no good!" Mr. 3 shouted. "My wax will not work against him anymore!" He quickly pulled the remaining wax armor off of Luffy before he was affected by the poison.

"That was close!" Luffy exclaimed.

Heatblast launched a wave of flame at Magellan, but the flames were extinguished before they even made contact.

"Okay that's not good," the Pyronite stated.

The poison was spreading across the floor, making steam rise like it was lava. Everything around the group started to melt.

"Venom Demon!" Magellan yelled as he appeared to transform into an actual demon made of poison. The poison even had a face of a skull to enhance the effect.

"Oh crap, it's a real demon!" The prisoners yelled as they all looked up at the poison monstrosity. Magellan now towered over everyone. The poison was so high that it almost reached the ceiling.

"It's like something from the pits of the underworld!" another one screamed.

Heatblast if he had any, gritted his teeth. Even he didn't expect this. "He wasn't kidding when he said that he wanted to end this quickly."

Luffy was left speechless and wide mouthed as he stared at the Venom Demon in terror.

All the prisoners were left screaming in horror as Hell's judgment loomed over them. The warden was no longer interested in just disabling them. He was going to melt them until they were nothing but a puddle.

The demon moved and everyone ran for their lives. Those who didn't run fast enough were melted by the poison. There was no coming back from that. Even just getting some of the poison on their body meant death. Those prisoners who lashed out and touched another person out of desperation only condemned that person to the same, slow death.

Luffy carried Mr. 3 since the wax user was the least physically-abled of almost all the remaining prisoners. There was no telling how many prisoners fell as Luffy dashed for the main gate while Heatblast flew right beside him. The duo did everything they could to ignore the screams of panic and help for those who fell.

"It does not matter if it is wax or stone!" Mr. 3 yelled in panic as he witnessed the chaos around him. "The poison keeps spreading like an infection!"

"Dammit, now the wax armor is completely useless!" Luffy screamed.

"For a sludge of poison, that thing moves pretty fast," Heatblast said as Magellan kept pace with the fleeing prisoners.

Everyone ran for what felt like forever as the Venom Demon continued to chase them through the halls. They could hear the cheers from the other prisoners ahead, showing that they were close to the exit. It wouldn't matter, however, if Jimbei didn't steal a ship in time.

"Hey, are you guys there!?" Luffy screamed when the voices became loud enough.

"That's Straw-chan's voice!" a voice yelled happily. It was Bon Clay.

Luffy rounded the corner and saw Bon Clay and the others prisoners waiting for them at the gate. "We have to run!"

The Venom Demon came crashing through the wall just as Luffy yelled that, scaring the living shit out of the other prisoners who saw it.

"We got a battleship yet!?" Luffy screamed.

"Straw-chan, Ben-chan, we're still waiting for a ship to get on!" Bon Clay answered.

"What!?" Luffy yelled.

More prisoners fell by Magellan's hand and Luffy's troops dropped to only a handful.

Just when they were close to the exit, the floor began to shake. Within moments, Iva came erupting out of the floor with his big head. It was obvious by his swirling eyes and gasping mouth that he was knocked out from slamming his head through the ceiling. In his arms was an unconscious Inazuma covered in poison.

"Strawhat, it's Jimbei!" one of the prisoners yelled as they threw a baby transponder snail at him.

Luffy easily caught it and looked at the snail.

"Luffy-kun, so you made it?" Jimbei asked.

"I'm here, but he's still chasing us though!" Luffy yelled breathlessly. "We're going to hit a dead end at the exit!"

"Forgive me. We stole a ship, but we are too far away from you," Jimbei said. "But do not stop moving! Jump straight into the sea! Get everyone to throw themselves into the ocean! You can leave the rest to me!"

In a flash of green light, Big Chill appeared.

"Do what he says!" Luffy yelled at the prisoners as he stopped running.

"What!?" Mr. 3 shouted in disbelief.

"Three, come help me one last time!" Luffy yelled as he turned to face Magellan, who was quickly approaching them.

"Are you insane!?" Mr. 3 yelled as he flailed his arms. "If we leap into the ocean, we are done for sure! He works for the government! He is not worthy of our trust!"

"Coming from you, a criminal himself?" Big Chill asked as Mr. 3 glared.

"He's Ace's friend," Luffy said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I trust him!"

Mr. 3 stared at Luffy, dumbfounded, as the Venom Demon grew closer.

"To the sea? If you think you can get away, then just try to get away!" Magellan dared. "The moment you touch the water, you will be in the sea king's nest!"

"Be careful! Do not let even a drop of the poison touch you!" Mr. 3 warned.

"I've got a plan," Big Chill said as he slapped the Omnitrix dial on his chest again; this time, four spikes popped out as another green light enveloped Ben's body. The only noticeable change to Big Chill was that his body color changed to an assortment of red, orange, and yellow to give him a fiery appearance.

"ULTIMATE BIG CHILL!" Ben shouted.

The hyper-evolved Necrofriggian inhaled deeply before exhaling a powerful torrent of fire at his opponent. Magellan, who looked unworried, held out his hand which the Venom Demon mimicked and prepared to extinguished the flames. However, the warden's confidence immediately vanished when the flames engulfed the surrounding area, transforming it into ice.

"What?! ICE?!" Was all Magellan managed to say before his body and the Venom Demon were both completely trapped in a thick chunk of ice, his expression literally frozen in disbelief.

The eyes of every prisoner bulged open in shock and disbelief.

"Now Luffy!"

"Right!" Luffy put his thumb in his mouth and bit down hard. "Gear Third!"

Luffy pushed the air into his right leg, making it grow to the size of a giant. "Gum Gum Giant Stomp!" he yelled as he kicked the frozen statue of Magellan, the poison's effect having now been neutralized, pushing him back.

The warden went sliding across the room and slammed into a nearby wall, breaking the now frozen Venom Demon into pieces. He was buried in the rubble, buying Luffy, Ben, and the others some much-needed time.

With the attack finished, Luffy released the air from his body and allowed himself to shrink. While this was happening, Magellan was already starting to recover.

Luffy ran toward the still unconscious Iva and screamed desperately for him to wake up in his high, squeaky voice. It took several seconds, but Iva eventually woke up.

"Hmmm, what?" Iva muttered, still dazed and confused.

"We have to hurry!" Luffy screamed.

"Who are you? Strawhat-boy's son?" Iva asked, completely out of it. He was also left confused by Luffy's shrunken state.

"Use that move of yours!" Luffy screamed as he jumped up and down. "The Wink!"

"Okay then," Iva muttered, still not quite sure what was happening around him. He prepared to wink just as everyone yelled for him not to do it.

"Your plan is pointless!" A now recovered Magellan yelled as he advanced on the group. "If you enter the sea without a ship, there is no hope for you!"

"I'll take drowning or being eaten by a sea monster over being melted by poison, thank you," Ultimate Big Chill said as he exited the prison entrance.

Luffy finally returned to normal size. "Everyone, grab onto his face!"

"His face!?" everyone yelled in confusion.

"I will not let you escape!" Magellan yelled, getting closer.

Everyone quickly grabbed onto Iva's hair and anything else they could hang on to.

"Hell Wink!" Iva screamed as he did a huge wink that shot the entire group out through the front gate and into the open sea. They could see Magellan's Venom Demon trying to grab them just as they flew away.

"Well, that's one way to escape," Ultimate Big Chill said as he flew overhead.

Before they hit the water they were saved by a school of whale-sharks. They littered the entire sea.

"Whale-sharks!?" Ultimate Big Chill exclaimed in shock. "I never seen this many in one place."

The shark-whales bounced the group safely onto the battleship that had Jimbei and the others had stolen. As soon as they hit the deck, the prisoners of Impel Down began to celebrate their escape from the unbreakable prison. Ultimate Big Chill had landed on the deck on the ship before reverting back to normal.

The day was perfect. The sun was up and the morning light bathed the ship in its warm glow. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Although there was no wind, given that this was the Calm Belt, the prisoners still enjoyed taken in the fresh air for the first time in years.

Luffy himself was even more active as he allowed the breeze of the sea to comfort him. It truly felt like they had escaped from Hell.

Even Ben allowed himself a sigh of relief at having escaped this horrible prison.

"We do not have time to celebrate yet!" Jimbei yelled as he attempted to get everyone's heads out of the clouds as he steered the ship. "We have to hurry and get out of here!"

Luffy and others were too overjoyed at their renewed freedom to listen to him. After spending hours and for many, years, in the darkness of Impel Down, seeing the sun and having fresh air blowing in their faces was heaven.

"Thank you, whale-shark!" Luffy yelled as he waved goodbye to the whales as the other prisoners did the same.

"We're free!" the prisoners screamed to the sky as they danced around the ship.

Buggy got on top of the deck and started to get the prisoners he released to praise him as a god and they were all too happy to oblige, calling him the great captain Buggy among other things.

* * *

At the pier of Impel Down, Magellan stared on in disbelief.

"I didn't think those fools could be stupid enough to do it," said Magellan before he brought up a Mini Transponder Snail. "Marines! Bring me a ship! I'll go after them and finish them all off! They don't realize, but those pirates are cornered, now!"

 _" **Yes, sir!"**_

* * *

 _ **On one of the battleships…**_

"Rear-Admiral!" said one of the soldiers. "We've repaired the cannons that were knocked out of commission by Jimbei!"

"All right," said the Rear-Admiral.

* * *

The pleasant atmosphere on the ship was shattered when the remaining marine ships shot at them. Most of the cannonballs missed thanks to Jimbei's expert steering, but some of the some still managed to hit the deck, sending several of the prisoners flying.

"Everyone ranked vice-admiral and above has already been called to Marineford, but a battleship is a battleship. They are still tough, no matter who is onboard!" Jimbei yelled as he avoided more cannon fire.

In a few minutes, the Gates of Justice were within their sights. The giant gates were closed to them and it was then that the prisoners finally realized that they were still trapped.

"This is bad! These gates will never open for us!" Mr. 3 screamed in panic.

"Oh no, we made it this far and now we've hit a dead end!" Luffy yelled.

"So close and yet we end up tripping a the finish line," Ben gritted his teeth.

Jimbei remained perfectly calm despite Buggy yelling in his face and pulling on his kimono. While all this was happening, the other battleships were still shooting at them.

Luffy calmed himself, taking to heart Jimbei's serene state, and took charge of the situation. "First off, we have to protect the ship! Don't let them sink it!" he ordered the prisoners.

The prisoners yelled compliance and went to work on protecting the battleship.

"Are you just going to sit there and take their attacks?" Crocodile asked in annoyance. "This is a battleship too, remember? Are you not going to shoot back, you worthless fools!?"

"That was going to be my suggestion!" Buggy yelled.

"Sure it was," Ben said dryly.

"Let's shoot them back, men!" Buggy yelled to his group of prisoners as the cannons were fired.

For the next several minutes, the former prisoners defended against cannonballs and kept the battleship from being badly damaged in the relentless assault.

Some cannonballs still got through since only a few people could actually do something like Luffy, Ben, Crocodile, and Mr. 1, along with Jimbei's steering. Iva and Inazuma were too badly hurt and poisoned to help in the defense of the ship.

The prisoners were quickly becoming disheartened. They escaped from Hell only to be sent into a watery grave.

"The prisoners know that they're cornered," said another Rear-Admiral. "Why are they are still heading for the Gates of Justice? There's only one way they can open it, and that's from the control panel in Impel Down!"

"Fire!" shouted another Rear-Admiral. "We have to sink that ship! …Huh?!"

"W-what's going on?!"

"The Gates of Justice! They're…opening?!"

The gates began to open for the stolen battleship!

"But how?!" another Rear-Admiral questioned.

"What the hell's going on?!"

"Why's the gate opening?!"

On the stolen battleship, the escapees are also shocked and confused.

"What's happening?!" Mr. 3 questioned. "Is this some kind of trap?!"

The prisoners then cheered as the way to their salvation opened and the light from the sun hit their eyes.

* * *

Back at Impel Down's pier, a battleship came to pick Magellan up so he could follow Luffy's band of rioters.

"Warden Magellan! Please, hurry!"

Magellan was going to board to the ship, but then he stops and gasps in shock.

"No, wait!" he said. "No…this is impossible! Why are the Gates of Justice opening?!"

* * *

 _ **Inside Impel Down's 1st floor control room…**_

"Are you absolutely certain you want the gate to open…Warden?!" asked a jailer.

"Of course," answered "Magellan". "Are you questioning me?"

"N-no, sir! Of course not!" said the jailer. "I'd never doubt you!"

"Good," said "Magellan". "Now, once that ship goes through the Gates of Justice, close it right away so no one follows! Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, sir!" said the jailer.

* * *

Back outside, the Marines are still firing at the escaping pirates.

"DON'T LET THOSE PIRATES GET AWAY! OPEN FIRE!"

"What's going on, here?! Why would Magellan order this?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't understand why he would do something so foolish! What does he have to say for himself?!"

"I don't think that the Warden is behind this! He was at the main entrance, not too long ago!"

* * *

 _ **Back inside Impel Down…**_

Someone came charging into the control room.

"Control room!" Magellan shouted, forcing the other Magellan and the rest of the jailers to look up. "What do you think you're doing?! Who the hell ordered you to open the Gates of Justice?!" He then noticed his double. "Huh?"

"What?!" the jailer questioned in surprise. "W-Warden?!"

"Oh, dear…" the other Magellan whispered.

* * *

"Alright, I don't know why, but the Gates are opening!" Luffy cheered.

"Hey wait," Ben looked around, "Where's Bon Clay?"

Jimbei appeared strangely grim during the celebration.

"Jimbei, what's wrong!?" Luffy asked with a huge smile on his face, noticing that the fishman didn't seem too happy.

Jimbei glanced at Luffy from the corner of his eye before answering. "Luffy-kun, do you know why the doors to the Gates of Justice opened for us?"

Luffy blinked. "Why do you ask?"

Jimbei sighed. Ben could feel the weight of bad news. "Luffy-kun, the controls for the Gates of Justice are within the walls of Impel Down. In order for us to open the gate, one of us had to stay behind."

The Omnitrix wielder felt a sense of dread build in his stomach. He didn't want to hear what was coming.

Luffy's eyes widened as he took in the news. "Who...who stood behind?"

"Who is missing on this ship?" Jimbei asked instead, turning his eyes away from Luffy.

Luffy said nothing as he thought about the question. His eyes widened again as the answer came to him. He looked around the ship desperately, praying that he was wrong. "Bon Clay!"

Jimbei nodded somberly, still not looking at Luffy.

"Is that really true? Bon Clay?" Luffy asked in disbelief. He was shaking badly and appeared ready to collapse.

The Gates of Justice started to close just as the battleship passed through the gate.

"He was just with us at the exit!" Luffy yelled at Jimbei, not believing that Bon Clay would sacrifice himself like this again for him. "Are you saying that Bon Clay stayed behind in Impel Down on his own!?"

Jimbei said nothing. His silence said everything.

"Even though we made it this far! Even though we were almost free!" Luffy screamed, becoming angrier.

Jimbei still said nothing.

Luffy grabbed Jimbei by his kimono and shook the fishman. "The only reason we've managed to meet Iva and the others and escape from there was because Bon Clay was with us and you're telling me we should just go without him!?"

Ben had to agree with Luffy there. Without Bon Clay, Luffy would have died within the wall of Impel Down and Jimbei would have remained locked away at Level 6, unable to help anyone.

"There is no time to waste," Jimbei said coldly. There was, however, a tone of regret in his voice.

"Are you going to abandon him!?" Luffy shouted as his rage built.

Jimbei harshly picked Luffy up by his vest and looked the boy captain straight in his eyes. "We have already abandoned countless allies who fell along the way! Do you intend to return there and fight Magellan again!? Then there would be more sacrifices! We would waste more time, too! If someone had not stayed behind, the gates would have never opened for us!" He dropped Luffy onto the deck, letting the rubberman take in his words.

"Luffy," Ben said as he put his hand on Luffy's shoulder, "It pains me to admit it, but Jimbei's right. Bon Clay's sacrifice would be in vain if we did go back."

Luffy sat on the deck, feeling completely numb. He didn't want to believe Jimbei. Every part of him was screaming for him to go back and save his friend. He knew what fate awaited Bon Clay. He would be lucky if he were given death.

At the same time, he knew both Ben and Jimbei were right. If they go back, more people would be killed. He would also lose his chance to save Ace, whose execution was only hours away. As much as he wanted to go back for Bon Clay, his brother came first.

After Jimbei had calmed down, he gave Luffy a baby transponder snail. "It is still connected. This snail has a very short range. As soon as the Gates close, we will lose contact with him."

Luffy looked at the snail for a moment before he tearfully took it into his hands. It took him a second before he could find his voice.

* * *

 _ **Back in Impel Down…**_

"You impostor…" Magellan hissed.

It is revealed that it is Bon Clay in disguise!

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" he laughed as he struck his signature ballet pose. "That's right! It's me!"

"He was an impostor the whole time?!" the staff questioned.

"I'm so glad that I managed to put your face and body in my memory once I had the chance!"

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _"What in the HELL happened here?!" Magellan questioned Hannyabal, who was actually Bon Clay in disguise. Bon Clay managed to touch Magellan's face with his left hand, even though he was being choked._

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"How dare you…" Magellan began, but then…

 _" **BON!"**_

A voice came onto the Mini Transponder Snail in Bon Clay's hand, making everyone freeze.

 _'Straw-chan…!'_ Bon Clay thought.

* * *

"Hey, can you hear me, Bon Clay!? Why are you doing this again!? Just like that last time!?"

There was no answer.

"Weren't we supposed to escape together!? You just keep saving me over and over again!" Luffy continued to yell as his voice started to break from emotions.

As the memory returned to the present, the other prisoners on the ship, including Buggy, Mr. 3, and Iva, heard what had happened and gathered around Luffy. They were all teary eyed.

"If you're there, then answer me, Bon Clay!" Luffy pleaded.

Sill, there was no answer.

Some of the prisoners were also beginning to cry openly.

"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed desperately into the snail.

"Answer us, Brother Bon!" a prisoner screamed with Luffy.

"Why won't you answer!?" someone asked in tears.

Nothing, it was complete silence.

"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed again. He was breathing hard as grief threatened to crush him.

"Mr. 2!" Mr. 3 shouted in tears for his comrade.

Even Buggy was crying. "Mr. 2, you're...I'm so sorry for everything!"

"Bon-boy!" Iva yelled.

The gates started to close and they passed the safe point.

"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed desperately along with the others on the ship.

Still, Bon Clay wouldn't answer.

"Bon Clay...the gates are closing... We're...going," Luffy stuttered as he attempted not to cry. He gently put the baby transponder snail on the deck and stared at it for a moment. He then lifted his head, looking straight into the sky. "THANK YOU!"

"Brother Bon, thank you!" the prisoners also yelled as they sobbed openly for their friend.

"STRAW-CHAN!" Bon Clay suddenly screamed from the other end, startling everyone.

"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed desperately as he grabbed the baby transponder snail. He hung on to the last link to his friend.

"Straw-chan...you have to save your brother no matter what!" Bon Clay yelled as the baby transponder burst into tears.

This finally sent Luffy into tears.

"I'm sure...you can...save your brother!" Bon Clay screamed with absolute faith as the transmission cut off.

"Bon Clay!" Luffy cried.

The Gates of Justice closed and with it the transmission from Bon Clay. There was only static and the snail fell back to sleep.

"BON CLAY!" Luffy and the other prisoners shouted, although they all knew it was pointless.

Crocodile and Mr. 1 hung back while looking as stoic as ever. It was hard to tell what they were thinking. They didn't appear upset by Bon Clay's sacrifice, but they remained respectfully silent. They gave everyone on the ship their moment to grieve.

Ben closed his eyes as he hung his head in mournful sorrow.

Jimbei kept his back turned the entire time. Although everyone could not see his face, they could tell by the subtle shaking of his shoulders that he was crying.

Luffy ran to the end of the ship and stared at the Gate of Justice. He stared at the giant gates like he was trying to will himself to see through them and learn the fate of his dear friend. After everything Bon Clay has done for him, he couldn't repay any of it. He couldn't even give Bon Clay back his freedom.

"If he hadn't been here, we all would be at the bottom of the ocean by now!" someone screamed, echoing everyone's thoughts.

Luffy could only stare at the Gates of Justice before he burst into more tears. His body wracked with sorrow as he moaned for his friend. Bon Clay was alone. He had left his friend alone in Hell.

More sobs shuddered through Luffy as he slumped against the railing. He had his life, his freedom, and a second chance to save his brother. They were all free from Hell, but for Luffy, the price had been far too high.

* * *

"Any last words?" asked Magellan as his hand turned to poison.

"Satisfaction…" a smirking Bon Clay said as he poised himself to fight.

 _May we meet again…as soon as possible._

Impel Down. On this day…241 prisoners succeeded in escaping from the world's greatest underwater prison. This will be the worst disgrace in its history, but the incident is far from over. Only four hours remained…until the public execution of Portgas D. Ace.

* * *

 _ **Inside Impel Down's Level 4...**_

"You lot live your lives to dangerously. If I hadn't shown up with the antidote, you'd all be long dead. Underestimating Magellan like that will get you killed!"

It is revealed that the Blackbeard Pirate crew has survived Magellan's poisons, thanks to the arrival of Shiryu.

"Yeah, but we're still alive!" shouted Burgess as he laughed.

"Destiny brought you here," Auger mused.

"Ho-ho-ho," Lafitte chortled. "But I did think that I was going to die for a minute, there."

"It's seem that luck…*cough*...is still on our side," Doc Q coughed.

"Luck may decide who lives or who dies," said Blackbeard, who had taken off his sweaty shirt, "but whoever gets scared first loses! ZEHAHAHAHA! Let's live for the moment!" He pointed to Shiryu. "Hey, Shiryu! Thanks for saving our asses, back there! I welcome you. Looks like you'll make a great edition to our crew! ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"

"It's obvious what the future holds for me, here," said Shiryu. "I've been waiting to meet someone like you!"

Blackbeard grinned at his newest crew member.

"I beg to differ," a deep, raspy, and terrifying voice emanated from the long hallway.

Blackbeard turned his attention down the corridor where the voice came from. He saw a large silhouette figure with two menacing red eyes standing down the end of the bridge. His eyes noted the unknown being's towering and amazingly buff structure.

Blackbeard's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that this being was over forty feet taller than him. Hell, he was even taller than Pops. Loud metal footsteps echoed down the passageway as he began making his way towards the Blackbeard pirates. The former Whitebeard pirate couldn't see much detail of the apparent stranger due to the lack of lighting.

As he got closer, all of a sudden, Blackbeard's facial features displayed true, utter horror. He hadn't felt such fear in a long time.

Blackbeard observed that this being had a head similar in shape and design to an earth octopus, only his eyes were a cold, malicious red. His chest, torso, and legs were attired in a black and red armor. Onyx cylinders protrude from the alien's massive arms. His left arm adorned a golden gauntlet while a deadly looking sword is sheathed on his back. Blackbeard could feel the hate and malevolent nature coursing from this unknown creature.

"W-who are you?" Blackbeard questioned as he did his best to hide his fear.

"Your demise." Vilgax the Conqueror replied as his eyes glowed a crimson red.

* * *

 _ **AN: That's all for this chapter. It's the Blackbeard Pirates against the almighty Vilgax and his army. Whoever wins, the world is doomed anyway. Next chapter, we're finally getting into the Marineford arc. Things are going to be quite different from what happened in the canon series. But no spoilers. You'll see what happens. Thank you and have a good day.**_


	12. Marineford

**_AN: Hello everyone. This is it; this is what you have all been waiting for. The Marineford Arc, baby! From here we'll see Ben 10,000 and Luffy allying themselves with the Whitebeard Pirates to face the full might of the Marines in order to rescue Fire Fist Ace. However, things are going to be slightly different as there are certain individuals who will be using this to their advantage. I appreciate everyone's patience and now without further wait, I present the long-awaited chapter._**

* * *

 _ **South Blue**_

In the South Blue, the weather was very stormy. People would have to be crazy to sail a ship in this weather…especially on this day.

In a marketplace, people were buying whatever food they could get.

"Well," said a young man, "only three more hours to ago. Where do you think Whitebeard might be? You think that the old man will ever show up?"

"I don't know, and to be honest, I don't give the slightest damn!" an older man snapped. "I haven't heard much about ol' Whitebeard anyway!"

* * *

 _ **East Blue**_

In the East Blue, it was cloudy, and some shepherds were out herding some sheep.

"Whitebeard's practically a living fossil from an era-gone-by," said an old shepherd. "What makes you so sure that he'll beat the Marines at his age?!"

"It doesn't matter who's gonna win or who'll lose," said a man with tattoos on his bald head and smoking a pipe. "I do know this: a lot of people are gonna die in that war. "If Whitebeard's wised up over all these years, then he won't show up and let Ace die. I mean, what's the life of one pirate against those of so many, anyway?"

* * *

 _ **North Blue**_

In the North Blue, it was a snowy, freezing cold day. A couple of men were hoping to get some drinks at a local pub, but upon getting there, they saw it had been closed, as their neighbors had said.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"

"I want my booze, old man!"

"You shut up!" the barkeep snapped at them. "The pub's closed all day, today! Maybe I'll open up tomorrow, that is if there's a still world, tomorrow! Until then, get your booze someplace else!"

"Can't you sell me just one bottle, at least?! I need some booze to get through this thing! Please!"

* * *

 _ **West Blue**_

In the West Blue, some men were enjoying drinks at a bar that had decided not to close for the day. Apparently, the barkeep didn't believe that the world would be in shambles once Whitebeard attacked. However, others still spoke of him.

"There's no way that old-timer's gonna win against the World Government, now. Look at him!"

"You're right. Whitebeard should just give up while they're ahead. Let the rest of his crew handle taking care of rescuing Ace!"

"Shut up!"

A peg leg stomped into the floor.

"Whitebeard may be old," said the punter, "but don't you dare go underestimating him! If you ask, he's still as strong as ever! Why, it was just one year ago…the moment my crew and I first laid our eyes on that old man…our lives were as good as over. Whitebeard…is a living demon.

A pause, but then, everyone broke out into laughter.

"Whitebeard? A demon?! Yeah, right! HAHAHAHAHA!"

The old pirate seethed before he took a drink of his grog.

* * *

 _ **Grand Line**_

In the Grand Line, a mother was watching her children play jump rope with their friends. However, she did not take delight in doing so like she used to.

"Listen," the mother told her friend. "Even the children know about the terrible Whitebeard. Listen to them singing."

 _ **"The pirate** **Whitebeard, scarier than the Devil~!"**_

The mother sighed. Did her children even realize how morbid they were sounding right now? Singing about the Devil of all things? She closed her eyes, raised her head up to the heavens, and folded her hands in prayer.

"O, heavenly Father," she prayed. "Deliver us."

* * *

 _ **Marineford**_

On the island of Marineford, where Marine Headquarters was stationed, there was a large town mostly inhabited by the families of Marine personnel. The streets were completely empty, save for one stray cat. The reason: the citizens have been evacuated to the safety of the Sabaody Archipelago. There, they shall bear witness to Ace's execution on monitors. Reporters and photographers have gathered there from hither and yon to report the news to the entire world.

At the Sabaody Archipelago, the evacuated families stood in front of the monitors, watching every event that shall take place, along with news reporters and photographers, when suddenly…

"Look!" a man shouted. "There's Ace, on the scaffold!"

* * *

Outside of Marineford, the Marine surveillance ships have all disappeared in the fog. So far, there has been no sign of Whitebeard, but even so, the entire island holds its breath.

Ace dropped to his knees as he was being chained to the scaffold, and the executioners held their blades in front of him in an X-position. There were only three hours to go until his head rolled.

"Stay alert, men! We have to be ready for anything!"

The owner of the voice was revealed to belong to Vice-Admiral John Giant. As his name implies, he was a giant that towers over regular Marine soldiers by several times in height and has curly brown hair. He wore a red Marine bicorn hat and a variation of the standard Marine coat with yellows colorings, red borders, and medals adorned on the left side. Unlike other high-ranking Marines, like Garp, John wore his coat with his arms in the sleeves. Underneath the coat, he wore an orange shirt, simple loose pants, and boots. Overall, he appears to be a well-decorated Marine. Slung over his shoulder was a katana that fits his size.

"In three hours," John boomed, "it will all be over!"

The Marines roared in agreement.

Over one hundred thousand elite Marine troops stood ready for battle.

Meanwhile, there were fifty battleships surrounding the island of Marineford, as well its crescent moon-shaped bay.

Batteries of heavy cannons line the shore, and on the wall stand five warriors, ready to decided the outcome of the upcoming battle. They were pirates, the five remaining Warlords of the Sea who have answered the summons of the World Government: Dracule Mihawk, Boa Hancock, Gecko Moria, Bartholomew Kuma, and Donquixote Doflamingo. While Mihawk, Kuma, and Doflamingo were dressed in their usual attire, Hancock, on the other hand, is dressed in a purple dress with the mark of the Kuja printed all over, as well as purple high heel pumps, and Moria was wearing a blue cape with beige fur trimmings.

Finally, high atop the execution scaffold in the town plaza, the central figure of this drama, 2nd Unit Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Portgas D. "Fire Fist" Ace, kneels and quietly awaits his fate. The platform is guarded by the World Government's Ultimate Powerhouses: the three Admirals, Aokiji, Kizaru, and finally, the one in the middle, Admiral Sakazuki, better known by his alias, "Akainu".

These mighty defenders of justice have come to prevent Ace's rescue and to do battle with the mighty Whitebeard and his pirates.

* * *

Back at Marineford, two figures are walking to the scaffold.

"Garp…don't try to stop me. I'm going to tell them everything."

"Fine. Do whatever you please. I'll be waiting, down below."

Fleet Admiral Sengoku appears atop the scaffold while Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp stayed behind.

"Stand back," Sengoku ordered the executioner, who stood aside to allow him to stand next to Ace.

"Yes, sir."

Everyone looked up when they saw Sengoku, who was given a Mini Transponder Snail.

 _"Attention, everyone,"_ Sengoku said. _"I have something to say to you all The execution of this man, Portgas D. 'Fire Fist' Ace, is a matter of enormous importance!"_

Marines such as Smoker, Tashigi, and Momonga all looked up, wondering what Sengoku meant.

Vice-Admiral Tsuru turned to look at Garp and said, almost sympathetically, "It's not your fault, Garp."

"BWAHAHAHA!" Garp laughed, albeit halfheartedly. "You women sure are kind about this stuff like this, eh, Tsuru?"

 _"Ace,"_ Sengoku continued. _"What is your father's name?"_

A slight pause came.

"His father's name?"

"What does that have to do with any of this?"

"…my father's name," Ace began, "is Whitebeard."

 _"Not true!"_ Sengoku bellowed.

"Yes, it is!" Ace shouted. "Whitebeard is my father! My REAL father! There's nobody else!"

 _"We were looking everywhere,"_ Sengoku continued, ignoring Ace's protests, _"When Cipher Pol gave us intelligence of the possibility that one of his children might be born on a certain island. We examined newborns, even unborn infants and their mothers and found nothing…but that was only natural. Your mother used a trick to hide you. A trick that cost her her very life!"_

Hina, Jango, Fullbody, Coby, and Helmeppo looked up, the latter of the two looking somewhat nervous.

 _"We were fooled. The whole world was fooled! Your mother, Ace, lived on the island of Baterilla in the South Blue. Her name was Portgas D. Rouge. She did something we never imagined was possible. She hid her child in her womb for 20 months in order to save it!"_

Ace's eyes went wide.

 _"She bought your life, Ace, at the cost of her own. One year and three months before you were born, your father was executed. The blood of the most terrible criminal that the world has ever known…courses through your veins."_

A pause.

 _"Don't you start playing dumb, now!"_

 _'No,'_ Ace thought. ' _No! Don't say it! Please, DON'T SAY IT!'_

 _"Your father, Ace, was the one and only Gold Roger, the Pirate King!"_

Everyone in the plaza gasped. For no one except Sengoku, Garp, and Ace himself knew about this.

Portgas, or rather, _Gol_ D. Ace…is the son of Gol D. Roger, the former King of the Pirates, and judging from Ace's facial expression, it appeared to be something he did not take pride in.

Garp stood behind, looking down with guilt, and he let his mind wander to the day before Roger's execution.

" _My unborn child is innocent, Garp,"_ the old Vice-Admiral heard the Pirate King's words in his memory. _"I ask you…take care of my son!"_

Garp sighed.

 _Forgive me…Roger._

* * *

At the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone was still watching everything on the monitors, and is shocked to hear the news that Sengoku has revealed.

"'Fire Fist' Ace…is Gold Roger's son?!"

"This is big news!" said one of the reporters. "Quick! Notify the head office, at once!"

"We'll print an extra edition, if we have to!"

One of the reporters of the press tried to write down this shocking scoop, but alas, his hands shook, and his notebook fell out of his hands.

"It…it still exists…!" the reporter said. "The bloodline of the great Pirate King!"

* * *

Back at Marineford, even all the Marines that stood ready for battle is also shocked at the revelation.

"So…he's not Luffy's blood brother?" Hancock questioned. "I wonder if Luffy knows."

Ace squinted his shut and had his head lowered.

"Gold Roger's…son?!" the Marines repeated in shock.

The Three Admirals sat in silence.

"So!" Moria exclaimed with a grin. "His son is alive, after all! It's incredible! Everyone who was ever associated with Roger was executed."

Doflamingo chuckled.

"Wait a minute," Coby whispered to Helmeppo. "I thought that Dragon would be his father, too!"

"So did I!" Helmeppo whispered back. "So this means that he and Straw Hat aren't brothers?!"

Meanwhile, Garp's mind was elsewhere. He thought back to the day when he visited Roger in his cell…before his execution.

" _Garp! You won't believe it! I'm gonna be a father! Too bad I'll be a dead man, by the time it's born."_

* * *

 _Flashback, 24 hours before Roger's execution_

 _A younger Garp stood before Roger's cell, speaking with the great Pirate King, himself, and with only away until his head rolls._

 _"Why in the hell are you telling me this, Roger?!" Garp asked him. "You know that I'm with the Marines! We mean to hunt down anyone who was ever associated with the likes of you!"_

 _"And that's exactly the reason I'm telling you this, Garp, old boy," Roger said. "The World Government's gonna try and retrace my footsteps for the past…and when they find her…they'll kill her."_

 _"Her, who?" Garp asked._

 _"Why, Rouge," Roger answered. "My girl. She's gonna having my child, any day, Garp."_

 _Garp gasped silently._

 _"But our unborn child is innocent, Garp," said Roger. "I trust you as much as any of my crew!" He gave Roger a familiar wide grin. "So…I'm counting on you."_

 _"Stop talking this nonsense, Roger!" Garp yelled._

 _"I know you," Roger said. "You'll do it, I know you will. Take care of my kid, Garp!"_

* * *

 _10 months later_

 _In Baterilla in the South Blue, Marines were running, this way and that way, scouring the town for any pregnant women and newborn infants. Why? It had been rumored that Roger had been here, and that he had fathered a child here._

 _"Check all the children born up to ten months after Roger's capture!"_

 _"Inspect all the pregnant women, too! Kill anyone who looks suspicious!"_

 _"The era of Gold Roger is over! We have to wipeout his bloodline at any cost!"_

 _What the Marines didn't notice was that a young woman is walking away from all this commotion._

 _The woman had long, wavy, strawberry-blonde hair with a bright red hibiscus flower to decorate it. Also, her face was dotted with little freckles. She had on a long, flowing, short-sleeved, light blue dress that reached down her feet and sandals. Her most noticeable, however, seemed to be that her stomach was larger than most women's._

 _At first glance, people might think that she had been eating well. However, if one were to notice her actions, it was revealed that it was anything but._

 _This woman, one Portgas D. Rouge, was pregnant…for more than nine months._

 _"No," Rouge told the unborn baby in her belly. "I'm sorry, but you can't come out yet."_

 _This went on for the next ten months, until finally, Rouge could no longer bear the pain of carrying her child. After 20 long months, after the marines gave up their search…her baby was finally born._

 _Two doctors had come to aid Rouge in her delivery, and, almost surprisingly…Vice-Admiral Garp had come, as well._

 _Rouge cradled the crying newborn infant in her arms. She sniffled as tears dribbled down her cheeks, and yet she smiled, as well._

 _"If you were a girl, your name would be Anne…" Rouge said, "but if you are a boy…your name is…Ace. Those were the names that he chose. Your name is….'Gol D. Ace'. Our child…"_

 _Rouge panted as she put a hand on her bloody sheets, and then…she collapsed._

 _Rouge had kept her baby boy in her womb for such a long time, that giving birth had caused her to become extremely exhausted to the point where she could no longer hold on._

 _"Rouge? Rouge?! Can you hear me?!"_

 _"Rouge, say something! Hang in there! ROUGE, NO~!"_

 _Garp looked on, worried, as the doctors attempted to revive Rouge, to no avail._

 _How was such a busy Marine like him supposed to look after a newborn child?_

* * *

 _10 years later_

 _Garp is walking up a mountain trail into the jungle, and reluctantly following behind him is a 7-year-old Luffy._

 _"Dadan?!" Luffy repeated._

 _"That's right, Luffy," Garp answered. "You're living here, from now on."_

 _"But I don't wanna~!" Luffy whined._

 _Garp struck the boy in the back of the head._

 _"OW~!" Luffy cried and soon broke into tears._

 _"Stop that crying, brat!" Garp snapped. "I didn't even hit you that hard!"_

 _Once they had reached the top, they saw a young boy waiting for them._

 _"Who's he?" asked Luffy._

 _"He's your new big brother," Garp answered. "You're gonna be living with him, so be nice!"_

 _He slapped Luffy in the back of his head._

 _"Ugh!" Luffy groaned and crossed his arms in a pout._

* * *

 _10 more years later_

 _Garp sat before Ace's cell in Impel Down._

 _"It doesn't even matter, Gramps," Ace said. "Unfortunately for me and Luffy, we both carry the blood of two of the world's most infamous criminals in our veins. We couldn't be Marines if we wanted to. I took the surname 'Portgas' from my late mother, whom I owe a great deal to, but I never, ever wanted to carry my ne'er-do-well father's blood, mostly because I have no memory of him and I don't owe him a damn thing."_

 _"I understand, Ace," Garp began, "but you see, he tried-"_

 _"What I'm trying to say is, Gramps," Ace spat, "my Father…my REAL and ONLY Father…has and always will be…Whitebeard."_

 _Flashback end_

* * *

Garp sighed and put his palm over his face.

 _"Two years ago,"_ Sengoku said, still speaking into the Mini Transponder Snail, _"you took your late mother's family name and began working your way up at amazing strength and speed as captain of the Spade Pirates. That was when we discovered that the bloodline of Gold Roger had not been totally extinguished! But we weren't the only ones who learned the truth. Whitebeard took you, the son of his former rival, aboard his ship so that he could raise you to be the Pirate King!"_

"You're wrong!" Ace retorted. "I joined Pops so I could help HIM become the next King of the Pirates, not the other way around!"

 _"You're the only one who believes that,"_ Sengoku argued. _"Did you ever stop and think about why we were never able to touch you? Because after all this time, Whitebeard has been protecting!"_

Ace gasped silently.

 _"But you had to be stopped, Ace,"_ Sengoku said. _"In time, your abilities would eventually allow you to lead a new generation of pirates on a reign of chaos and terror! For that reason alone, your execution today is necessary! You must die, today, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALL-OUT WAR WITH WHITEBEARD~!"_

The Marines raised their weapons and roared.

Just then, another Marine Vice-Admiral appeared.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir!" he said, saluting him. "Important news, sir!"

"What is it?!" Sengoku asked.

"The Gates of Justice!" the Vice-Admiral answered. "They just opened up, on their own!"

"WHAT?!" Sengoku shouted, questioningly. "BUT HOW?!"

The Marines had now sounded the alarm.

"Here they come!"

"All hands! Battle stations!"

"No way!" Sengoku said. "They all appeared so suddenly! Where did they come from?!"

Outside of the bay, Sengoku can see a huge fleet…of pirate ships, all with different kinds of figureheads and Jolly Rogers, and some of them belonged to infamous pirate captains of the New World.

"Bohemian Knight" Doma, a man with black curly hair and a beard that seems to have lines that extends to his eyes. He wears a large red headband and a necklace with big light blue square jewels on it. There is a stitched scar on the lower right of his neck, and he sports a large and long light brown coat with a wide dark red collar and cuffs. He also wears a pair of loose blue pants tucked inside a simple pair of boots. Perched on his shoulder with its prehensile tail wrapped around his arm is a monkey.

"Thunder Lord" McGuy, a man with a long face with a big nose and a prominent chin, wavy blonde hair that reaches all the way down to his waist, and a black mustache in the shape of a lightning bolt. He sports a blue cardigan shirt under a black vest. He wears dark Bermuda shorts and an orange sash decorated by a silver colored ornament with a red jewel on it.

"Let's do this thing," said McGuy.

The Decalvan Brothers, two brother that appear to be twins, both wearing overalls. Both have wide faces (though one of them is wider than the other) and flowing black hair. The one with the wider face has sharper teeth. Each brother had one of their eyes which is large and black around the rim, open, and had the other eye which has a scar over it closed; either way, whichever eye they had open and closed are opposite to one another.

They both wear a brown and yellow pirate tricorn hat with polka dots bandanna underneath it. The hat bears their Jolly Roger two skulls and a cross-bone, with a wavy design over it. They both wear yellow long gloves with razor-sharp nails at the end on both hands.

Finally, "Whirl Spider" Squard, a pale, slim man of average height. He has a bald top, but light-pink wavy hair that flows long downwards. He is often seen sticking his tongue out and has sharp teeth.

He wears a spider design on his forehead of which has a spiral at the bottom, with a diagonally-placed headband that attaches to it. He wears a dark grey, long coat with ruffled edges over a similar designed, lighter-colored shirt, and dark pants that almost reach his armpits, with some buckles and strings on the front, tucked inside boots, and with ruffled, lighter-colored edges as well. Around his neck he has a dark red tie. For footwear, he wears high-heeled black boots with loose white cloth coming down from the openings

There are at least 43 pirate ships in all, all of them here to rescue Ace, and all of them here are aligned Whitebeard…who is still nowhere to be found.

Ace looked on in surprise, for at one point after he first set sail…he had actually managed to defeat these people, and yet, here they are, coming to his rescue.

"You guys…you came for me, too?" Ace asked.

The battleships stationed outside the bay faced the pirate ships, prepared to attack.

"Shall we commence the attack?!" asked a Marine officer.

"No, not yet! Whitebeard hasn't shown himself, yet! He's sure to be up to something! Keep your eyes on the surrounding waters!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Doflamingo laughed. "Well, this is getting interesting! Now I'm getting excited, here! Whitebeard! Hurry up and show yourself!"

Suddenly, the Three Admirals raised their heads up. They could've sworn they heard something.

The water gurgled.

"No," Sengoku said. "It can't be!"

The water kept bubbling, and the nervous Marines looked around, trying to find the source.

"He's going to try and pull off something outrageous, for sure," Garp said.

"It looks like we could be in the wrong formation," said Tsuru.

Just then, four shadows formed under the water.

"Hey! What are those shadows?!"

"No…you don't think…?!"

"So that's it!" Sengoku said. "They had coated their ships and went underwater!"

A giant whale-like pirate ship appeared from the depths of the ocean.

"IT'S THE _MOBY DICK_!"

Yes, the _Moby Dick_ , the ship captained by none other than Whitebeard himself, has finally appeared, along with three other large (but not as large) whale-like ships.

"They're inside the bay! Even the Fourteen Division Leaders!"

"Whitebeard," Sengoku seethed.

A familiar man walks up the main ship's figurehead. It is revealed to be none other than the mighty Whitebeard, himself, "GURARARARARA…how long has it been, Sengoku?" asked Whitebeard. "My beloved son had better be all right! GURARARARARA~!"

"I'm coming, Ace," said Whitebeard.

"POPS!" Ace shouted.

* * *

 ** _The Calm Belt_**

On the marine battleship that the Impel Down prisoners had commandeered, the atmosphere on the ship was surprisingly light and happy. The convicts of Impel Down along with Buggy were happily drinking and celebrating their escape from Hell. It was like the entire emotional breakdown they saw only a few minutes ago never happened.

"Well, they bounced back fast," Ben muttered in mild annoyance. Bon Clay deserved more than a few seconds of mourning, especially after he saved all of them.

Ben then looked around the ship for his friend. "Where's Luffy?"

Jimbei glanced up towards the upward level of the battleship. "He's up there."

The Omnitrix wielder turned to see the Strawhat captain along with Mr. 3 and many others from Newkama Land leaning against the railings. They were all looking towards the Gate of Justice, which wasn't even a dot in the horizon anymore. They all appeared to be depressed and disheartened.

"Now that I think about it, he was not a bad fellow after all," Mr. 3 said somberly. He was standing right next to Luffy.

"We'd finally been reunited," Luffy sobbed as he attempted to wipe his teary eyes. He slumped even further on the rails. "And he ended up saving me again."

Ben felt Luffy's anguish as the people from Newkama Land cried Bon Clay's name. Bon Clay had preformed the ultimate sacrifice. Now, Luffy could never repay Bon Clay for that sacrifice. The only thing they could do now was honor Bon Clay's final wish and save Ace.

"Hey, how long are you guys are going to stand there sobbing?" a drunken voice asked.

the group turned to see Buggy walking up the stairs with a jug of beer in his hand. It was obvious that he had one too many given his flushed cheeks, slurred speech, and the hiccups in between every other word.

Luffy, Ben, and the others from Newkama Land turned towards Buggy in mild irritation.

"He was a good guy, but he's dead now and there's nothing we can do," Buggy said dismissively as he hiccupped. "Let's just celebrate!"

Everyone's eyes darkened. If looks could kill, there wouldn't even been a body left of the clown pirate. Except for maybe his nose.

"Celebrate our freedom!" Buggy shouted as he raised his glass and laughed. "Or, if you would like, we could have a funeral for Mr. 2." It was obvious by his tone that he wasn't serious and was close to mocking them.

Before Buggy could say more, Luffy slugged the clown pirate in the face, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Blood squirted out of his nose like it was a water fountain as Buggy laid dazed on the deck.

"Thank you!" Ben exclaimed. He wanted to go Rath on Buggy since that clown opened his mouth.

"We don't know for sure that Bon Clay is dead, Big Nose!" Luffy yelled at a semi-conscious Buggy.

Buggy immediately stood up when he heard his hated nickname. "Who're you calling Big Nose!?"

Luffy rushed down the stairs and got right into Buggy's face. "You, you red-nosed, round-nosed, stupid-nosed idiot!"

Buggy pulled on Luffy's cheeks. "Well, you got a rubbery, stretchy, stupid face!"

"That's kind of a lame comeback," Ben said.

"What'd you say!?" Luffy yelled as he reached to squeeze Buggy's nose like it was a plushy toy.

"Bon Clay is alive!" Luffy yelled as he punched Buggy back to the deck, given him a large bump on his head.

When Luffy was through with Buggy, he stretched his arms and joined Jimbei who was still steering the ship.

"Luffy-kun, Ben-kun," Jimbei said as Ben and Luffy stood at his side. "Thanks to you two, I have a chance to save Ace-san. I am indebted to you both."

"Oh, don't say that. It was no problem at all," Luffy said with his usual bright smile. "I feel better that you're here too. You're really strong!"

Jimbei looked at Luffy from the corner of his eyes. It looked like he wanted to say something, but instead went back to staring at the ocean.

"You can call me Jimbei. I used to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but I abandoned that title," Jimbei informed. "Let's unleash hell on Marine Headquarters!"

both Ben and Luffy looked at Jimbei in surprise.

"We must save Ace so that Okama-kun's efforts will not go to waste!" Jimbei declared.

"One of the Warlords?" Luffy asked slowly.

"This is my first time hearing it," Ben said.

"Marine Headquarters?" Buggy asked as he joined Luffy.

Both of their eyes widened in shock as they took in their respective information.

"Hey, hey, you were one of the Seven Warlords!?" Luffy yelled in shock. "No wonder you're so strong!"

Everyone on the ship began to gather around Jimbei, hearing all the yelling.

"Forgive me. I should have introduced myself sooner," Jimbei said, not seeming surprised by Luffy's ignorance.

"What do you mean Marine Headquarters!?" Buggy screamed, changing the subject. "You better not be telling me that this ship is going to Marine Headquarters!"

"That is right," Jimbei answered nonchalantly.

"WHAT!? You know about the war between the marines and the Whitebeard Pirates, right!?" Buggy shouted. It looked like his head was going to explode.

"Um, what?" one of the prisoner asked dimly.

"What are you saying? It is not our faults that you are so dim-witted," Crocodile said in his usual cold manner. He was sitting nearby on a cannon, doing his best to look bored.

"WHAT!?" Buggy screamed in horror.

"Now that we are through the Gates of Justice, the only possible destinations are Enies Lobby and Marine Headquarters," Crocodile stated as he puffed on his cigar. "The only reason we escaped in the first place was because we wanted to join the battle."

Buggy and Mr. 3 both freaked out at the news. They escaped one hell and were headed straight into another.

"Yeah, the battle begins now!" Luffy yelled with a smile on his face.

"No going back now," Ben said with a serious tone.

"NOBODY TOLD US ABOUT THIS!" almost all the Impel Down prisoners screamed.

There were more than a few protests from the prisoners. A mutiny would have broken out that very moment if a transponder snail didn't start ringing, catching everyone's attention.

Luffy causally opened the steel door that housed the transponder snail and picked up the phone. "Uh, hello?"

For the next couple of minutes, the marines gave Luffy and the former Impel Down prisoners the rundown of what they knew about them. Namely, the marines assigned all blame for the Impel Down breakout to Luffy and Buggy, the latter whom they now knew was part of the Pirate King's crew.

Buggy wasn't happy to have his past blurted out and everyone, especially Crocodile, Mr. 2, and Iva, who were surprised that such a weak pirate was a comrade of the late Pirate King. From what Ben had heard of him, Gold Roger was pretty much the top dog among pirates before he got executed and hearing that Buggy of all people was a member of his crew certainly caught the shapeshifter off guard.

After the marines revealed Buggy's past, they verified all the information they knew about him. Most that was completely incorrect, like Shanks and him being close as brothers, Buggy wanting to save Ace because they're friends, and how Buggy hid his true strength from everyone for over two decades.

The former prisoners became gradually more impressed and enchanted with Buggy with each new bit of information they heard. The Strawhats could practically see the stars in their eyes. There were also tears.

The pure amount of incorrect information and the hero-worshipping of Buggy by the Impel Down prisoners made Beni facepalm.

Once the marines finished their intel on Buggy, they told Luffy and the others outright that the Gates of Justice wouldn't open for them and they were trapped in the Tarai Current. For a lack of better words, they would wander the current until the marines came to kill them.

"Hey, wait marine!" Luffy shouted over the transponder snail. He took a deep breath. "I'm definitely going to save Ace!"

"So just wash your potatoes and wait!" Luffy yelled over the line before he slammed the phone down and closed the metal doors.

Luffy's last sentence broke the emotional mood among the prisoners as they glanced each other.

"Potatoes?" One prisoner asked in confusion.

A New Kama sighed. "I think he means necks."

"It's necks, Strawhat!" one of the prisoners corrected. "Watch your neck, Strawhat! Like this is anytime to wash and boil potatoes!"

After getting over Luffy's mistake, the prisoners began to cheer Buggy as a hero. Their savior was not only one of the Pirate King's men, but a brother to one of the Emperors.

Ben sighed. "Like his head needed to get any bigger."

At first, Buggy attempted to dispel all the praises. Eventually, of course, he began to like hearing the prisoners cheer his name and talk about what a great pirate he was.

With the prisoners fired up, they were ready to steal the ship. With a legendary pirate like Buggy on their side, they could easily overthrow a three-hundred million belli rookie, a powerful shapeshifter, two former Warlords, and a Revolutionary general along with all the members from Newkama Land.

Luffy, Ben, Crocodile, Mr. 1, and Jimbei were mildly annoyed by these developments. Crocodile's solution was, naturally, killing everyone on the ship. He already had a sand tornado ready in his palms.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for some, the murder plot died the moment Buggy got control of the prisoners and encouraged them to go to Marineford to fight in the great war. He gave a rather lengthy and impressive speech about how they all had a chance to be part of history and fight against the best in the world.

Needless to say, the prisoners ate the speech up like candy and were practically jumping for joy to go to war.

It was almost an hour later before the Gate of Justice that led to Marineford appeared within sight.

Ben wracked his brain thinking of how they can pass it. Even with the strength of everyone on-board the battleship, there was no way they could break through. They were going to need a miracle that not even Iva could provide.

Jimbei looked stumped as well. "So, how are we going to get through that gate?"

Buggy took this time to go into his 'king of the world' act. "My men, it's almost time!"

"Time for Captain Buggy to rule the world!" the prisoners cheered as they pumped their arms.

"Oh, brother," Ben groaned.

"Indeed my comrades!" Buggy yelled. His grin got bigger. "Who will be Pirate King?"

Buggy laughed in delight when all the prisoners shouted his name.

"Ace..." Luffy murmured. He was so busy thinking about his brother that he didn't even bother to correct Buggy about who the Pirate King would be.

Luffy's eyes hardened in determination as he rapidly swung his arm. "Maybe they'll open if I just punch them!"

"Yeah, we can try knocking at the door," Mr. 3 said sarcastically.

Without warning, the giant metal doors to the gate started to open to the group of outlaws.

"It's opening!" Ben shouted.

"What is going on here!?" Jimbei asked. Although he kept his face neutral, it was easy to tell he was completely lost as to what could have happened.

Buggy got to the front of the battleship and spread his arms opened, allowing the light from the opening gates to bathe him. He looked like Messiah from legend. "Here it comes! It's time! I know it! How? Because my shoulder blades are dancing a Lambade of rapture!"

"What the heck are you talking about!?" Ben yelled at Buggy.

"Here it comes! It's coming! It's coming!" Buggy continued to chant.

"Don't tell me you're..." one the prisoners exclaimed before they all fell to their knees and in worship of Buggy. "I never realize you were actually God's messenger!"

"Seriously, Buggy!?" Luffy shouted in complete disbelief. His eyes were wide with both wonder and awe.

"Don't even start!" Ben yelled at Luffy.

They passed through the gates without any difficulties, although no one really could explain what happened. For now, they were all just grateful that they could get to the war zone.

"We made it past the gates," Iva said as he walked towards Luffy's side. "Now then, I wonder if you and Ace-boy's father will show up."

Luffy gave Iva a confused look. "Ace's father?"

Iva leaned down and spoke softly so no one could hear them. "Since his son Ace is about to be executed, I'm sure that Dragon will do something."

Luffy smiled. "Oh, me and Ace don't have the same dad."

Iva's eyes widened in shock.

Luffy wasn't finished yet. "My dad is Dragon. But Ace's dad is Gold Roger."

"WHAT!?" Iva screamed in utter disbelief.

"It's pretty amazing, but they never actually met," Luffy went on in a cheerful voice, complexly unaware of how silent the ship had become. "Although, Ace will probably be mad at me for telling you." He recalled how Ace didn't speak to him for weeks after he found out who his dad was.

"You think, Luffy?" Ben muttered. Though he couldn't help but feeling shocked as well.

"WHAT!?" everyone on the ship screamed. They had all heard what Luffy just said.

Even the normally cool and dispassionate Crocodile looked completely stunned and his cigar hung loosely in his mouth. This was the last thing he ever expected to hear.

Mr. 1's neutral expression faded as he took in the information. He was just as surprised as his boss.

Jimbei was still as a statue as he took in the news.

Buggy and Mr. 3's mouths had dropped open. For Buggy, this had to be the biggest surprise to learn that his old captain had a son and he knew nothing about it.

Iva had a frozen expression of shock and surprise. The poor man couldn't even form words.

Luffy paused for a second, as if finally realizing that he had said too much. "Oh yeah, this a secret by the way. So, don't tell anyone."

"WHAAAT!?" everyone on the battleship screamed again.

* * *

For the next thirty minutes, everything was peaceful and uneventful despite the fact that they were heading towards a war against two of the greatest powers in the world. That all changed, however, when the battleship suddenly began to rapidly pick up speed and tumble in the sea.

"Hey, look at that!" someone shouted as a shadow fell over the ship.

"What is that!?" Buggy screamed in panic.

It didn't take long before everyone had their answer. A giant tidal wave was heading right at their backs. It was so huge that it appeared to be merged with the sky.

"It's a tsunami!" everyone screamed.

"It's huge! It's going to swallow us up!" a prisoner shouted.

Luffy ran up to Jimbei, who looked strangely calm considering the situation. "H...Hey Jimbei, if this continues..." He couldn't finish the sentence. "I can't be killed by some tsunami here! I have to save Ace!"

"Pull in the sails!" Jimbei ordered before turning to address Luffy. "We will hold on and ride the wave!"

"Huh!?" Buggy exclaimed. "You're not going to avoid it!? What are you talking about, you damn fish-brain?!" He ran up the stairs and attempted to take the wheel from Jimbei. "Turn the damn wheel already!"

"Hey, would you cut it out!" Jimbei yelled as he regained control of the ship.

"How many years have you been pirates? Are you complete amateurs?" Crocodile asked in annoyance. "If we recklessly change our course now, we will capsize immediately. There is only one way out of this."

Ben had to nod in agreement. The only option they had was to ride the tsunami and pray that they didn't get turned over or sucked into the wave.

"He is right!" Jimbei exclaimed as he knocked Buggy away. "Hold on tight or you will be pulled into the wave!"

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed as he wrapped his arms around one of the railings. Ben and Buggy quickly did the same.

The tsunami grew closer until it hung over the battleship like a massive hand ready to crush them.

The entire ship took a dive and the wave began to consume them. When it reached its lowest point, the ship was sucked upwards into the tsunami until it was completely vertical. It kept going until it reached the top of the tsunami and they began riding on top of the massive wave.

No screams could be heard the entire time since the crashing sound of the tsunami enveloped everything.

Just as it looked like they might've been able to ride the tsunami across the Grand Line, it suddenly stopped. Everything was silent and the rush of water had completely disappeared.

"Huh, what happened?" Buggy said as he looked around. Just about everyone on the battleship was too shell-shocked to noticed that they had stopped moving.

Ben walked over to the side of the ship and found their answer. "The water is frozen."

"What!?" some of the prisoners yelled as they ran towards the side of the ship.

Ben was right; the entire tsunami was frozen solid.

"What the hell!?" Buggy screamed when he realized what had happened. "We're trapped in ice! Now we can't go anywhere at all!"

Crocodile got off the ship and walked toward the edge of the frozen tsunami. "Take a look below us. There is your answer."

Everyone looked down and saw that Marineford was right below them. Even from high up they could see the fighting and hear the gunshots.

"So how exactly are going get down there?" Ben asked.

"Listen up, everyone!" Luffy's yells got everyone's attention. "I got an idea about how we can get past this! Now that we have made it this far, we have to hurry!" He was standing near the top of the battleship with one arm up.

"We got less than three hours until they execute Ace!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yeah, so?" Buggy asked in his 'I don't give a damn' voice.

Luffy ignored him as he was explaining his plan to everyone. His ideas basically boiled down to them breaking the ice and then sliding to safety.

"You wants us to slide the ship down the wave!?" Buggy yelled in outrage after Luffy finished outlining his idea.

"That's our only choice," Luffy said as he crossed his arms.

Even Ben had to agree. "He has a point. It would be really bad idea for us to jump, given the height we're are at and I can't carry all of you with either of my aliens."

"First off, we have to break the ship out of the ice," Luffy said.

"Are you an idiot!? This is a battleship!" Mr. 3 yelled. "It is not going to move that easily!"

"That's right, you moron!" Buggy screamed.

Luffy clenched his fists. "If we work together, I know we can do it!"

Buggy paused for a moment. "I'm starting to feel like we already can..."

"That's right! We got the man who's going to conquer the world, Captain Buggy, on our side!" one of the prisoner exclaimed.

"If Captain Buggy can do it, then I know we can!" someone else yelled.

The transponder snail on the ship began to ring again, getting everyone's attention. Before anyone could think to answer, the snail started to talk on its own. _"Calling all ships and troops, out target site is TOTTZ. Change formation and initiate Operation Three."_

"What's going on?" Ben asked in confusion.

"It is the marines giving orders to their ships and troops," Crocodile explained. "Everything is spoken in code to prevent valuable information from leaking if someone gains access to the marine's channel like now."

 _"Make haste the preparations. Once the preparations are complete, we will push the schedule forward and execute Ace, over!"_ the messenger said before the transponder snail stopped talking and fell back to sleep.

Luffy immediately panicked, along with several other people on the ship.

"Looks like the marines aren't going to stick to their execution time," Ben said, feeling more disgust and outrage at the actions of the marines.

"Let's hurry!" Luffy yelled, getting the crew back in the memory. He jumped off the battleship and rushed to free themselves of the ice.

"We can't wait any longer! There's no time to argue about this!" Iva yelled. "Everyone, we're going ahead with Strawhat-boy's idea!"

"Why do I have a feeling that this isn't going to end well?" Ben asked dryly as he transformed into Armodrillo to help break the ice with his jackhammer arms.

All the most powerful fighters on the ship, including Buggy, went to break the ice. Unfortunately, all of them messed up. They broke the ice on the wrong side, causing the battleship to plummet onto the battlefield. They all screamed as they fell to their eventual deaths onto the frozen ice below.

* * *

 _ **Marineford**_

Back at the Marineford, the war raged on. With both sides already taken major casualties.

"Stay back!" 13th division commander Atmos cried as he continued to attack his own crew. "Don't come near me, whatever you do!"

"Commander Atmos, what are you doing?!" cried one of the pirates.

Doflamingo continued to laugh.

"Are the pirates the bad guys?" he asked. "Are the Marines the good guys?! Who knows?! Things like that change with the seasons! Kids who have never known peace and kids who have never known war have completely different ideas of what's wrong and what's right! It's the job of those at the top who decides what's good and what's evil! Right now, it could go either way! Justice will prevail?! Sure, it will, because the side of Justice…WILL BE WHICHEVER SIDE THAT WINS! HAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

The Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines continued to fight on.

Marines were hit by rifles and bazookas. A pirate was punched in the mouth by a Marine with brass knuckles.

"Defend the path that Oars cleared for us!" cried one of the pirates. "Move in, now!"

A gigantic pirate ship with an ice breaker on the prow crashed into the wall.

"What the?! It's an ice breaker!" cried one of the Marines.

At that moment, a woman appeared on the masthead of the ship.

"It's the Ice Witch, Whitey Bay!" exclaimed another Marine.

Whitey Bay was a woman with long, flowing, light blue hair, full lips, and there was a confident expression written all over her face. She sported a short striped dress closed by laces that have flower-shaped buttons with loose sleeves and a scarf. She also had on a polka-dotted bandana, and over that was a light blue and purple bicorn hat with her Jolly Roger, which is a skull with a snowflake design, in the center. Draped around her shoulders was a long flowing cape.

"This iceberg is nothing to me," said Bay.

Now the pirates had two ways to enter, since Bay had breached Marineford's defenses at a different point. It looked like the whole of the HQ was going to be overrun with pirates, but Sengoku seemed unbelievably calm.

At that moment, the Fleet Admiral chose to contact Tsuru, who had somehow caused some of the pirates to flattened like clothes and hanging from a clothes-line of some sort.

"I'm all washed up," said one pirate.

"I got sent to the cleaners," said another pirate.

 _"Tsuru!"_ Sengoku called her via Mini Transponder Snail. _"We're putting the plan into effect, now!"_

"I suppose it is that time, isn't it?" asked Tsuru. "Transmit the message to the entire fleet!"

Soon, other Marine officers had been given a message from Sengoku. Whitebeard simply grinned.

"GURARARARARA…" he chuckled in his throat. "I know you've got some kind of trick up your sleeve. You certainly are a cunning foe…eh, 'Buddha' Sengoku?"

Just then, Ace sensed a presence, and turned to see who it was approaching him, and when he did, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Gramps…!" Ace whispered.

Indeed. Garp had come to stand on the execution platform with Ace and Sengoku.

"And just what are you doing up here, Garp?" asked Sengoku. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"Of course not," Garp answered. "This is war, Sengoku, and our enemies are the Whitebeard Pirates. There's no room for mercy for them, here."

"In that case-" Sengoku began, but Garp suddenly cuts him off.

"SHUT IT!" Garp barked. "Just let me sit here, all right?!"

"…fine," Sengoku said.

Ace sat there on his knees, staring at Garp, who sat cross-legged beside him.

Before long, Garp began to think back to days long passed.

* * *

 _Flashback; 10 years ago_

" _You stupid boy!"_

 _A ten-year-old Ace suddenly fell to the ground, having been struck by a hard punch._

 _"Ace!" a seven-year-old Luffy cried. "Are you okay?!"_

 _As one can very well see, Luffy has his signature straw hat, so this took place after Shanks left his village._

 _"'I'm gonna go out to sea, someday?'" Garp questioned. "Ridiculous! There's no way I'm going to let that happen!"_

 _Ace sucked his teeth and wiped the blood off his lip, while Luffy stood at his side, nervously.._

 _"You're not the boss of me," he said. "You're not even my Father! You can't tell me what to do, you old fart!"_

 _"What did you call me?!" Garp asked. "Call me 'Grandpa', you little smart aleck!"_

 _"…old fart," Ace muttered._

 _Garp growled and raised his fist._

 _"I guess you're asking for another Fist of Love, huh?!" he asked before he blew on his fist, but then…_

 _"Hey, Grandpa!"_

 _Garp looked over to Luffy, who was smiling._

 _"Someday, I'm gonna get bigger and stronger," said Luffy, "and when I do, I wanna go out and sail the sea with Ace!"_

 _Garp quickly hit Luffy on the noggin, causing a large bump to form, and for Luffy to start crying in pain as he nursed._

 _"OWIE~!" Luffy cried._

 _"Dammit, Luffy!" Garp snapped. "You're not gonna start with that, too! Your mother may've allowed it when she was alive, but now that she's gone, you have to do what I say!"_

 _"You leave Luffy alone, you crappy old fart!" Ace shouted as he stood before his little brother, defensively._

 _"Huh?! 'Crappy'?!" Garp questioned. "DAMMIT ALL, ACE! WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"_

 _"RUN FOR IT, LUFFY!"_

 _"I-I'M COMING!"_

 _That night, Garp, Ace, and Luffy were eating a huge dinner of meat, fruit, and other things._

 _"Listen up, you two," Garp said as he ate at a fast pace. "Sometimes, a battle can come unexpectedly, so you've gotta eat to the fullest whenever you have the chance! That's one of the important things of being a Marine soldier! Don't you forget that!"_

 _"Marine?!" Ace questioned as he gulped down a fish. "'Marine', my ass! You can't decide that for us!"_

 _Before long, Ace and Garp were butting heads._

 _"What did you say?!"_

 _"You heard what I said, you old coot! I'm gonna be a pirate!"_

 _"You and Luffy are gonna be Marines, and you're gonna like it!"_

 _"I'm gonna be a pirate!"_

 _"You're gonna be a Marine!"_

 _"Pirate!"_

 _"Marine!"_

 _"PIRATE!"_

 _"MARINE!"_

 _"Yummy~!"_

 _Ace and Garp looked down and saw, to their horror, that all the food had disappeared, and Luffy had bloated up like a balloon!_

 _"AH! HE ATE IT ALL!" Ace and Garp cried._

 _"I'm stuffed!" Luffy exclaimed._

 _He flopped down on his back and fell fast asleep._

 _"I'm gonna be…a pirate…" he muttered in his sleep, his belly rising and falling with each snore._

 _Ace and Garp sighed and sat down in defeat, but then, the former flashed a grin._

 _"You know, Gramps," said Ace. "If Luffy ever does end up becoming a Marine, his entire food stock will be gone within a day."_

 _"I guess so," Garp agreed. "He'd be an even bigger handful than the pirates! BWAHAHAHAHA~!"_

 _Flashback end_

* * *

Ace and Garp sat in silence.

"…but this is family," Garp said, suddenly. "What the hell should I do?!"

Suddenly, Ace heard the sound of Garp…choking back sobs.

"Dammit all, Ace!" Garp sobbed. "Why? Why didn't you and Luffy live the way I wanted you to?! Can't you see that it was for your own good?!"

Ace stared at Garp with wide eyes. At long last, he finally understood why Garp had wanted him and Luffy to become Marines: it was all to save them from being on death row, and now that Ace had become a pirate, as well as the fact that Gold Roger was his father, nothing, not even the man who had come to be his grandfather, could save him now.

It would take a miracle.

"Gramps…!" Ace muttered, almost sounding close to tears.

"Garp," Sengoku said. "Don't you start getting any funny ideas in that thick skull of yours. If you start a commotion, here and now, I'll dispose of you, too."

"Trust me, Sengoku," said Garp. "If I were going to do something, then I'd have done it a long time ago, but I didn't, so there!"

* * *

Meanwhile, not too far away, Coby and Helmeppo are heading back to the battlefield.

"Helmeppo," Coby whispered. "Did you hear about the plan?"

"Yeah, I did!" Helmeppo whispered back.

"They're gonna execute Ace ahead of schedule!" Coby revealed. "But, if they do that…then…"

"Yeah, I know…but…huh?" Helmeppo began, but then, he spotted something…in the sky.

"What the…?" Coby began.

"There's something falling from the sky!" Helmeppo commented.

Up in the sky, everyone could hear what sounded like…screams.

"I knew you would overdo it!" Buggy screamed. He had tears running down his eyes as he approached his death.

"This is because of his wink!" Crocodile yelled.

Iva glared at Crocodile as he fell. "You're blaming this on me, Croc!?"

"Who cares!? We're going to die!" Luffy screamed. "The sea beneath us is frozen solid!" He paused for a moment as a realization hit him. "Oh, I'm made of rubber, so I'm fine!"

"Then you'll be the only survivor!" Mr. Three screamed as he floundered in the air.

"I don't want to die like this!" Iva screamed. "Someone, stop us!"

"I never should have listened to you, Strawhat! Dammit!" Buggy shouted at Luffy.

A green flash of light was heard as Gravattack suddenly appeared in his planetoid sphere form, "Don't worry, I got you guys."

Everyone who was falling to their deaths suddenly stopped as they floated in midair thanks to Gravattack lowering the gravity considerably, allowing them for a more safer landing.

"Wow, that's so cool Ben!" Luffy shouted.

"Nice job Ben-boy!" Iva screamed.

"Amazing..." said Jimbei in awe.

Luffy glanced around the battlefield as he got closer to the ground. He could see a small dot in the distance that looked like Ace, but he couldn't be completely sure. "Ace!"

Luckily for all the Devil Fruit users, Gravattack had the group land in the one area of the ice field that wasn't frozen. For some reason, there was a giant hole that was cut out of the ice, making a safe landing for the regular prisoners and Jimbei.

Sengoku and Whitebeard stared at the battleship, which had broken in half, also surprised by this sudden entrance.

"Hey, look!" said one of the Impel Down escapees.

"It's the ocean!" said another. "We ended up falling into the water!"

"Why is the only spot that isn't frozen?!"

"For a minute, I thought we were gonna fall on the ice and get crushed to death!"

"Hey!" said Mr. 3. "What happened to Buggy and Straw Hat?"

Under the water, it is revealed that Luffy and Buggy had fallen into the water. Luckily for them, Jimbei and Gravattack had dived in to save them.

"These Devil Fruit users can be such nuisances," said Jimbei.

"You don't know the half of it," Gravattack said as he lifted Luffy up to the surface with his gravity powers, followed by Jimbei taking Buggy.

"Get up!" shouted Jimbei as he dragged Buggy back onto the battleship.

"Come on, Captain Buggy!" said one of Buggy's followers. "Compared to the water torture in Impel Down, this is nothing!"

A moan was heard as Luffy slowly began to sit up. The Strawhats could tell by the far-off look in his eyes that Luffy wasn't completely there. The seawater had completely drained him.

"Where am I?" Luffy muttered as he watched the chaos around him. He then looked up into the sky. "I see...I fell from way up there..." After a few seconds, Luffy's eyes widened as he remembered why he was there. "Ace!"

He got unsteadily to his feet and searched for his brother. He climbed to the top of the now destroyed battleship and looked around until he saw Ace. Luffy smiled happily and gave a deep sigh of relief. Ace was still alive. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that it looked like Luffy would break down right then and there.

"Ace..." Luffy whispered before he took a deep breath. "ACE!"

Ace looked right at his brother. He didn't seem happy to see his baby brother. In fact, he had an expression of horror as he stared at Luffy.

"LUFFY!" Ace screamed back. He appeared to be trying to tear his chains off.

"Ace!" Luffy screamed again as he waved his arms. "I finally found you!"

"Luffy!" Ace yelled in a near panic. He was completely powerless to help his brother.

"Ace, wait for me, I'm coming to save you!" Luffy yelled as he eyes hardened in determination. From his back, all the most powerful fighters from Impel Down were grouped together. "We're all here to save you!"

At that moment, everyone turned to see Luffy and Ben, as well as their army of Impel Down prisoners.

"Look!" said one of the Marines. "That's Crocodile!"

"It's not just Crocodile!" said another. "Look at the others!"

"I'm here to save you, Ace!" Luffy called.

"Whoa, looks like they already started fighting without us," Ben grinned.

"Goodness!" Ivankov exclaimed. "They mean business! Look at how many there are!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Buggy cackled. "Look out, world, 'cause here I come!"

"GARP!" Sengoku roared. "IT'S THAT ACCURSED GRANDSON OF YOURS, AGAIN!"

"LUFFY!" Garp cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"Jimbei! And Crocodile!" said one of the Marines.

"Even the Revolutionary, Ivankov!" said another.

"And they've got a lot of other notorious pirates with them!" added another. "They're escapees from Impel Down!"

"Never a dull moment with you," Mihawk again, "eh, Straw Hat?"

"STRAW HAT~!" Moria roared, angrily.

"What the hell's he doing here?!" questioned Fullbody.

"That's not his usual crew!" Jango added. "Plus…who's that man in the black and white shirt?!"

"Luffy! Ben!" Hancock whispered, her cheeks blushing a bright pink. "Thanks goodness the both of you are safe!"

Coby climbed up a wall to look at the scene.

"Helmeppo!" Coby called. "Look!"

Helmeppo soon joined Coby's side, and lifted his shades to see what was happening, and when he did, he gasped.

"S-STRAW HAT?!" he cried.

"I heard that they had Luffy in Impel Down!" Coby said. "I knew he'd get out of there, somehow!"

"That there's a nice bunch you've got," Aokiji mused.

Kuma remained silent.

"Well, well," Kizaru said. "I didn't expect to see you so soon, Straw Hat."

"So that's the little brother that Ace talks so much about," Marco commented.

"HAHAHAHAHA~!" Doflamingo laughed. "The Seven Warlords, both old and new, are here! And that's what we call the 'Legendary Upstart', Straw Hat!"

"Didn't your mother teach you to look at your opponents when you're fighting?!" shouted a pirate that tried to cut Commodore Smoker, only for his attack to faze straight through his smoky body.

"Commodore Smoker!" Tashigi called. "Look!"

"I know, Tashigi!" Smoker said. "It's Straw Hat and Crocodile! What a strange alliance."

Akainu eyed the scene from his place.

"So," he said, "that's the grandson of Garp 'the Hero' and the son of Dragon. He must be eliminated, as well."

"Of all the things you could have done, you joined forces with Strawhat Luffy. Is this your answer, Jimbei!?" Sengoku screamed.

"That is right! I quit being a Warlord!" Jimbei yelled back defiantly.

Sengoku now looked majorly pissed.

While this was happening, Crocodile turned his eyes towards Whitebeard. He was standing on his ship, overlooking the entire battle. the former Warlord then used his powers to make his move against Whitebeard. He was on the old pirate's ship within moments. Whitebeard didn't even raise an eyebrow as Crocodile raised his hook.

"Long time no see, Whitebeard!" Crocodile growled fiercely.

"You never learn, do you?" Whitebeard asked nonchalantly, never turning his head.

Crocodile attempted to impale Whitebeard, but was intercepted by a wave of water and Luffy who was in his Gear Second. He kicked Crocodile's hook out of the way, knocking the logia user off-balance.

When Crocodile recovered, he saw Ben who had transformed into Water Hazard and Luffy glaring fiercely as his skin burned red. Crocodile observed them for a moment longer and realized that water was dripping out of the two portholes in Water Hazard's palms.

"So, you have a transformation that allows you to control water, eh Tennyson?" Crocodile asked neutrally. "I have honored our agreement and helped you and Straw Hat get here. Why are you two defending Whitebeard?"

"I don't make deals with scum like you," Water Hazard glared as he reverted back to normal.

"So, this old man really is Whitebeard? Then don't touch him!" Luffy yelled. "Ace likes this old guy!"

"Don't let him near the Old Man!" several Whitebeard Pirates yelled as they held Crocodile off, much to the sand user's annoyance.

"That man who just transformed..." more random whispers.

"Is he a Straw Hat too?"

"How reckless of both of them..."

Whitebeard finally turned his head and observed Luffy and Ben. His eyes fell to Luffy's strawhat and stood there for a moment. A look of recognition crossed his face. "Kid, that strawhat of yours. It looks a lot like the one Red-Hair used to wear."

Luffy turned to face the old pirate. "You know Shanks, old man? I'm holding on to it for him," he said as he looked at his hat, which was hanging off his neck.

Whitebeard stared at Luffy for a moment longer. "Have you come to save your brother?"

"That's right!" Luffy exclaimed, staring right up to the powerful pirate.

"Do you not realize what you are up against?" Whitebeard asked as if he was talking to a small child, which Luffy was compared to him. He raised his bisento off the deck and slammed it down with such force that it shook the entire ship.

"Someone like you does not stand a chance," Whitebeard yelled fiercely.

The outburst would have shaken any normal person and brought them to their knees, but Luffy continued to stare defiantly at Whitebeard.

"Shut up! That's not for you to decide!" Luffy yelled, making Whitebeard raise an eyebrow. "I know perfectly well! You want to be Pirate King, don't you!? I'm the one who's going to be Pirate King!"

Luffy's outburst left a wave of silence. No one could believe that he had dared spoken to Whitebeard like that. Even the marines in the area were left in a state of shock.

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and glared at Luffy as if he was sizing him up. It was most likely to decide if Luffy was serious or just some kid spouting nonsense.

Luffy refused to back down from Whitebeard's cold glare and even growled at the man.

After a moment, Whitebeard grinned and chuckled. "You are pretty damn cheeky. I will not show you mercy if you slow us down, you spoiled brats!"

"I'm doing what I want to do!" Luffy yelled. "I'm going to save Ace myself! Ben go!"

"Shouldn't you stop your comrade?" Whitebeard now glared at Ben.

Ben's expression became serious. "You're not my captain pal. Ergo, I don't have to take any orders from you. Therefore, I going to do my own thing, to use any and all means necessary to rescue Luffy's brother."

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Every single person yelled at him.

"Someone else stood up to the old man!"

"Seriously? He's gonna get killed!"

After a moment, Luffy finally started to cool down. "Old man."

"Yeah?" Whitebeard answered.

"We heard a message on the battleship just now," Luffy said. He quickly told Whitebeard of the marines' plan to execute Ace early.

"They are moving up the time of the execution?" Whitebeard asked. He did not sound too surprised by the latest development. "You are sure that is what they said?"

Luffy and Ben nodded. "After they finish some kind of preparations." Luffy then added, "Then, some code stuff that I didn't understand."

Whitebeard gritted his teeth in concern.

"Since you want to save Ace, I thought I would tell you," Luffy said casually.

Whitebeard turned his head back to the battle. "I see. This is rather important news. Sorry about before."

Luffy shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Luffy, get ready," Ben pointed out as he transformed into Humungousaur, "Cause we're taking these guys down!"

Humungousaur charged off the ship as he then plowed into a group of marines, easily knocking them aside.

Each and every soldier within the area found themselves having a _WTF_ moment as they witnessed this man who transformed into some creature tearing through so many marines at once.

"What the hell's that?"

"Another monster?"

"IT'S A _DINOSAUR!"_

"A dinosaur on Whitebeard's side?"

"No," Humungousaur said as he backhanded a few more marines, "Call me Ben 10,000! Hero of Heroes!"

"Right. Ace, I'm coming now!" Luffy exclaimed as he jumped off of Whitebeard's ship. He hit the ice below and took off running at full speed.

A group of marines ran to intercept him, but Luffy was not about let anyone stop him after coming this far.

"Gum Gum Bazooka!' Luffy yelled as he shot both of his arms forward. His hands hit the ice under the marines, knocking them off their feet. "Move it!" he screamed as he ran past them.

Behind him, Luffy could hear one of the Whitebeard's commanders ordering his group forward on top of Jimbei and Iva joining the war. He also heard the cries of the Newkama Land's people.

"Do not lose focus!" Sengoku yelled through the speakers that surrounded Marineford. "Proceed as instructed!"

Luffy ran for a few seconds before he saw a very unwelcome familiar face.

"It's you from Sabaody!" Luffy yelled when he saw Kizaru.

"The Celestial Dragons will be on my case if I let you get away again," Kizaru said easily. He lifted his foot as he prepared his attack. "Strawhat Luffy."

The light blinded Luffy. Kizaru obviously intended to fire a laser at him.

"I don't think so!" the voice of Chromastone screamed from behind Luffy. The Crystalsapien pushed Luffy out of the way, saving him from the laser blast as he absorbed it and then shot out a multicolored energy beam at the admiral, which ended up passing through him due to his Logia ability.

Those present could only look in shock at the sight of the dinosaur having transformed into some sort of rock creature in an instant. Kizaru however, merely raised an eyebrow in slight interest.

"What an interesting ability you have there," Kizaru stated, "Clearly not the work of a Zoan Devil Fruit. Just what is the source of your transformations, shapeshifter?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Chromastone snarked.

"Strawhat-boy, are you alright!?" Iva yelled at Luffy, who was lying face-down on the ice.

He quickly sat up and faced Iva. "That was close! Thanks, Ben!"

"It's my mission to protect you from death!" Iva screamed angrily. As he yelled, another laser shone in the distance. "Kizaru again!"

Everyone else, however, knew by the silhouette that it wasn't Kizaru.

"Kuma," Iva whispered, before the bear Warlord fired at him.

"That's the bear guy who sent us all flying!" Luffy yelled as Iva furiously shouted Kuma's name.

Kuma fired his laser, but Iva easily evaded it.

"Bartholomew Kuma!" Iva yelled. He pointed his finger at the Warlord. "You, here I come!"

Kuma shot at him again and burnt a chunk of his hair off, much to Iva's surprise.

"Iva!" Luffy screamed.

"Don't worry about me!" Iva yelled. "Leave this to me and just keep moving!"

"Alright!" Luffy yelled as he took off running again with Chromastone flying right beside him.

He didn't get too far before two chakrams nearly hit him. He dodged the chakrams easily, but was nearly hit by Fullbody, who attempted to slam his fist into him.

"How unlucky for you to bump into us!" Fullbody bragged.

"Strawhat, this is where it ends for you!" Jango exclaimed as he spun his chakrams on his hand.

"Huh, who are you?" Luffy asked, not recognizing them at all.

They both were annoyed by his lack of recognition.

"I'm Fullbody!" the marine yelled. "I still owe you from the floating restaurant Baratie!"

"Ah...the guy who got his ass kicked by Sanji," Luffy said neutrally.

Fullbody gritted his teeth in anger.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten these chakrams?" Jango asked desperately.

"Aren't you the hypnotist from Usopp's village?" Luffy asked. "What are you doing here?"

Jango brought up two chakrams tied to a string. "With the marine's help, I perfected Jango Hypnotism! Two chakrams, twice as effective," Jango said proudly. "With one, two, Jango you will fall asleep."

Luffy followed the chakrams with his eyes.

"Luffy, don't look at them!" Chromastone yelled.

"One, two..." Jango started. Just before he said Jango, a distance explosion distracted Luffy. When he turned to face Jango again, Fullbody and he had both fallen asleep and were snoring loudly.

"He even hit his own ally." Chromastone said in a deadpan voice.

"What is going on?" a woman with long pink hair and a reddish-purple uniform said.

Hina ruthlessly kicked Fullbody and Jango awake. "Hina disappointed!"

"You...I met you back in Alabasta!" Luffy exclaimed. "I don't have time to waste with any of you guys!" He ran forwards, attempting to pass her.

"I will not let you run," Hina said as steel cages shot out from her arms and entrapped Luffy and Chromastone in her area.

"What's that?" Chromastone asked. "A Devil Fruit ability?"

"Everything that passes through my body is lock tight," Hina said, causing Fullbody and Jango to swoon.

Luffy wasn't impressed. "I've had enough of being in cages!" He quickly went into his Second Gear while Chromastone switched to XLR8.

Hina attempted to entrap Luffy and Ben with her powers, but Luffy and XLR8 used their great speed to avoid the trap. Luffy seemly disappeared and jumped over Hina while XLR8 was already running past her before she even knew what had happened.

"They're both fast!" Hina exclaimed in surprise. "I could not see them!"

Luffy hit the ice and wasted no time running away from her as she deactivated his Gear as XLR8 slowed down so that Luffy could keep up with him.

"Stop right there!" a marine yelled as he blindsided Luffy with his club. Luckily for Luffy, the spikes on the steel club were dull and did nothing more than cut his face. XLR8 quickly used his tail to bat the marine across his face, knocking him out.

Luffy attempted a counter attack by punching another marine, but the man blocked Luffy's punch with his staff, which threw Luffy's balance off. He landed hard on the ice, but Luffy quickly rolled over before the marine could finish him. He jumped up and knocked the marine out of the way with a Gum Gum Whip.

Another marine snuck up behind Luffy and attempted to behead him with his sword. Luffy sensed him coming and easily evaded the fatal blow. He took a page out of Sanji's book and did a handstand. Luffy spun his legs around rapidly like a windmill, taking any marine within his range out.

With the last marine dealt with in Luffy's immediate area, he ran again towards his brother. Some of the marines managed to keep up with Luffy's running speed and attempted to attack him, but he managed to evade them

"Strawhat!" someone screamed.

The Strawhats looked to see Moria up ahead. Besides some bandages on his head, one would never think he got badly beaten just a couple weeks ago.

"Come out and play, my zombie warriors!" Moriah exclaimed as zombies rose from the ground.

"Zombies?! You got to be kidding me?!" XLR8 exclaimed.

"Now, my minions, go and capture Strawhat!" Moriah ordered his zombie army.

"Moria!" Luffy yelled when he saw the Warlord. "Another tough guy!"

"Capture Straw Hat and the shapeshifter!"

"They're the culprits behind the prison break!"

The zombies attacked Luffy, but the rubberman was able to knock them away from him. XLR8 used his claws to cut them down to size. That didn't do much, however, since they were zombies, meaning they felt no pain and would keep getting back up to attack Luffy and Ben. No matter how many zombies the duo took down, more came out of the ground. Gradually, the zombie army began to push them back.

"There's more!" Luffy exclaimed after he saw about thirty zombies walking towards him.

"Of course, this is a battlefield!" Moria yelled smugly. "People dying simply adds to my zombie army!"

While Luffy was having trouble with the zombies, elite marines also mercilessly jumped him at every turn. He was quickly becoming overwhelmed, but he kept fighting even as he was being nicked and cut by marines and zombies.

Ben kept transforming to one form into another. Thanks to the Master Control, he could keep transforming without timing out. Taking out many marines and zombies with Diamondhead using crystal pillars, massive streams of heat as Heatblast, bolts of electricity as Ampfibian, and booming soundwaves as Echo Echo.

"Stay away, Luffy!" Ace suddenly screamed over the battlefield, getting his brother's attention. "You ought to know already, you and I are both pirates! You should be out sailing however you want! Me, I have my own adventures! Me, I have my own friends! You have no right to interfere with this!"

Ben's eyes widened as he listened to Ace's yells.

"A weakling like you coming to rescue me, do you think I'm going to let that happen!?" Ace continued to shout. "That would be humiliating! Go back Luffy! Why did you come!?"

Ben could see Ace's body shake as tears collected in his eyes. He had a feeling Ace must have been feeling guilty. It was his duty as the older brother to protect Luffy. Now, Luffy was all but killing himself trying to save him. It was any older brother's nightmare.

Luffy ran forward through the horde of zombies and marines, not caring anymore if he was getting hit.

"I'M YOUR BABY BROTHER!" Luffy shouted to the top of his lungs, startling everyone in the area.

The marines muttered in confusion over Luffy's relationship with Ace. How could he also be a child of Gold Roger?

"Those stupid pirate rules, I've never heard them!" Luffy yelled as he kept running.

"Don't you get it!?" Ace screamed in frustration.

Luffy was about to be attacked by zombies again when a tidal wave of water suddenly hit them. The salt water got into the zombies' throats, causing the shadows to be released and the zombies purified.

Moria gasped in shock as he watched this happened.

Jimbei jumped out of the water and landed next to Luffy.

"Jimbei!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

"Your timing is beyond awesome!" Ben grinned.

"They are weak against salt, those zombies of yours," Jimbei said as he addressed Moria.

The fellow Warlord growled at the fishman.

"Luffy-kun, Ben-kun, leave the zombies to me," Jimbei said.

"I'm counting on you!" Luffy yelled, "Ben, charge!"

"What are you doing!?" Sengoku yelled through the speaker. "It is only two rookies! Do not let them dictate the entire war this way!"

"Out of the way!" a giant yelled as he ran to confront Luffy. "I'll crush them!" He raised his club attempted to make good on his promise.

Luffy, Ben, and Jimbei quickly got out of the way before the club could hit them. As Luffy fought the giant, Sengoku kept speaking.

"That man will be dangerous in the future! He was raised with his sworn brother, Ace, but his actual bloodline makes him the son of the Revolutionary Dragon!" Sengoku announced.

"Revolutionary Dragon!?" several people on both sides shouted in shock and disbelief.

The marines started to look at Luffy as if he was some kind demon.

"The son of the world's most fearsome criminal!?" others screamed in terror.

"So, that is how it is!?" Jimbei exclaimed in shock.

"Aw great," Ben said with sarcasm in his tone, "Just what we needed."

"We mustn't let him live!" a marine shouted, making all the other marines get over their previous fear.

This got almost all the marines in the area on Luffy in moments. They were going to make certain that Luffy didn't leave this war zone.

"They had to learn who his dad was before they started to take him seriously?" Ben asked in annoyance as he transformed into Humungousaur again.

Luffy bit down on his thumb and used his Gear Third Rifle to one-shot the giant that was attacking him, while Humungousaur charged forward and grabbed the giant by the arm, proceeding to throw him over his shoulder, shocking the marines.

"Ace!" Luffy screamed towards his brother. "Say whatever the hell you want! I'm saving you even if I die!"

Luffy shrunk after he released the air from his body, but, luckily for him, the people from Newkama Land were there to cover him until he turned back to normal.

"Hey, Strawhat, you're attracting too much attention," one of the Newkama people said.

Luffy looked to see an army of marines was surrounding him.

"Do not let them move an inch!" Sengoku ordered. "Do not let these rookies wreck our plans!"

"Charge!" a marine yelled as Luffy and others were attacked from all angles.

No one backed down as they attacked the marine forces head on. Elite or not, they weren't going to let the marines stop them. More people joined the battle, as some of the Whitebeard Pirates combined their strength with the Newkama Land people.

It was complete chaos. Guns were fired from all directions and people fell by the wayside as more people ran in to take their place.

More marines charged Luffy, forcing him to step back to keep from getting cut by their swords. Despite his best efforts, he was slashed across the chest by one marine before he was able to put him down.

"I'm going to save Ace! Get out of my way!" Luffy yelled as he ran forward in an attempt to break the marines' barricade.

Ace looked completely tormented as he watched his friends, his captain, and his brother fight and get hurt because of him. This was worse than dying to him. After a while, Ace's face became set as he willingly accepted whatever fate waited for him.

Cannons began to fire on Luffy's group, forcing them to lose ground again.

Luffy quickly used his Gum Gum Balloon to deflect the cannon fire and take out the people shooting at them.

Even with the cannons gone, however, they still couldn't break the marines' barricade and they were quickly losing men.

"Death Wink!" Iva yelled as he used his attack to knock several marines out of the away.

"Lord Iva, are you alright?" someone asked.

"Iva, I want to make a straight line for Ace!" Luffy yelled. He turned towards Jimbei, who was taking out several marines with his Fishman Karate. The look he gave Jimbei was similar to the stare he gave Zoro when given an unspoken order.

Jimbei caught Luffy's eyes and understood the silent message and used his Fishman Karate to clear a path.

Iva also helped cleared the way by blasting marines with his Death Wink. Ben did his part by turning into Articguana and freezing marines in place with his ice breath. Luffy added his power as well and hit a group of marines with a Bazooka.

With a path finally cleared, they all made a run past the marine's barrier.

Moria was back and he decided to handle Luffy directly. Before Luffy could reach him, however, Jimbei got in front of him.

"Fight me, Moria!" Jimbei yelled as he ran towards the fellow Warlord. "I am more than a match for you!"

Luffy didn't see the battle as he kept running forward, but he knew Jimbei would be alright. Even with Moria being dealt with, Luffy had a much bigger problem.

So fast that Luffy couldn't see it, he was smacked with a steel weapon across the face. Blood flowed out of Luffy's mouth as he stumbled around, completely dazed.

"What was that!?" Ben exclaimed. "Steel shouldn't make Luffy bleed like that."

Luffy wiped his mouth in surprise. "That hurt!" He looked up to see what had hit him and his eyes widened when he saw Smoker standing before him. "You're...Smoky!"

"At last we meet again, Strawhat!" Smoker exclaimed dramatically. He had his jutte up, ready for another attack.

Iva attempted to intercept Smoker, but he was too busy dealing with Kuma, who was trying to blast him with lasers.

"That's right, his jutte has seastone in it," Luffy muttered as he considered his options. "Damn you..." he yelled as he activated his Gear Second.

"I will finish you!" Smoker proclaimed.

Luffy wasted no time using a Jet Gatling and pummeled Smoker with his lightning fast punches. At least, he would have plummeted him if Luffy could touch Smoker's body. He was still unable to hit smoke.

Smoker launched himself into the air using his powers and prepared to dive bomb Luffy.

"He's much stronger than before!" Luffy yelled as he watched Smoker fly in the air.

While he was distracted, Tashigi charged in and attempted to slash him. Luffy quickly disappeared, catching the swordswoman off-guard.

Smoker was equally baffled before Luffy appeared behind him and attempted to hit him with another Jet Gatling. Although he didn't need to, Smoker skillfully evaded the punches and rammed Luffy.

"Seems we have both grown stronger," Smoker noted before he pushed his jutte into Luffy's throat and slammed the rubberman onto the ice. If Luffy wasn't made of rubber, his throat would have been crushed from the impact.

Luffy was completely helpless as he struggled to escape. It was all in vain since the seastone robbed him of his strength.

"You cannot defeat me with your abilities," Smoker said as he pinned Luffy.

"Damn...it's the jutte..." Luffy murmured weakly. He was dead if he couldn't break free.

"I finally understand why Dragon saved you back in Loguetown, Strawhat," Smoker stated as he pressed down harder. "Dragon got in my way back then, but this time, you are not getting away!"

"Dammit...!" Luffy exclaimed as his struggling got weaker.

Suddenly, the jutte found itself knocked away from Smoker's hands by a blue blur. Before the marine could react, he was then hit in the face by a blunt object knocking him off of Luffy.

Smoker got up, now in shock from actually being hit. He looked up to see a blue feline-like humanoid holding his jutte with a smug look on its face.

"Hey pal, looking for this?" Fasttrack taunted as he rushed forward in a burst of speed, hitting Smoker from all sides with his own jutte. The sea prism stone weakening him with each hit.

"Damn you," Smoker snarled as he got up now covered in several cuts and bruises from the blows.

"Not so fun when it's you on the receiving end isn't it?" Fasttrack remarked.

Smoker was prepared to strike back as he turned into smoke once more before he was rudely interrupted.

"Get your filthy hands away from them!" someone screamed at Smoker was kicked in the face.

"Hancock!" Fasttrack exclaimed.

It was indeed the Pirate Empress. She was riding her snake, not even bothering to walk. Despite being in a war with the best, there wasn't a scratch on her.

"She managed to hit me although I am smoke," Smoker muttered in shock.

"But a kick should not have touched him!" Tashigi exclaimed in equal surprise.

Hancock glared at Smoker. She looked extremely pissed off, to say the least.

"Hancock, what are you playing at!?" Smoker demanded as he stood up. "Do you intend to quit being a Warlord too!?"

"Silence!" Hancock yelled angrily as she got between Luffy and Smoker. "I am so infuriated that I do not care what you say! How dare you hold down my dearest!?"

"I will not let you leave!" Hancock exclaimed as her rage grew. "I have never been this angry! I will rip you apart and feed you to a beast!"

Smoker stared at her for a moment. "So, that was Haki of the Kuja Tribe."

Ben turned back to normal as he helped Luffy up who he attempted to catch his breath. Luffy smiled when he realized who had saved him. "Hancock!"

"Yes!" Hancock yelled in childish squeal. Ben could practically see the hearts in her eyes. She was also blushing furiously. "The two of you called me Hancock again!"

"What's going on!? Why did the Pirate Empress protect Strawhat and the shapeshifter?" a marine asked in shock and confusion.

Hancock turned to face Luffy and Ben, ignoring the shocked marines. She put her hands in a heart formation, like she was ready to use her ability on him. It was just a ploy, however, as she blushed at Luffy and Ben.

"I always believed that you both would make it here alive," Hancock whispered as she reached into her cleavage and took out a key. She took Luffy's hands into her own and gently dropped the key in his palms. "Take this. It is the key to your brother's handcuffs."

Luffy's mouth dropped as the marines yelled something about the woman's witchcraft.

"Hancock!" Luffy exclaimed once he found his voice.

She immediately blushed again. "He said my name again!"

Luffy jumped up and hugged Hancock happily. "You're...you're...thanks a lot! I owe you one!"

"Yeah, this really saves us a lot of trouble," Ben grinned.

"It's alright, it's alright..." Hancock stuttered. "Do not worry about it...just keeping going forward, Luffy and Ben!"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy exclaimed as he remembered his task. He jumped off of Boa and began to run again with Ben right at his heels. "Thanks!" As he ran, he looked down at his hand and stare at the key for a moment. "I'm really grateful for this! I'm in her debt again!"

The Marines looked on in shock, anger, and disbelief.

"I-impossible!" said one of them. "Straw Hat defeated Lady Hancock, effortlessly!"

"A bear hug! It has to be!" said another. "Straw Hat used a bear hug to render Hancock powerless!"

Hancock panted as she attempted to stand on her feet with Salome at her side.

 _'I did not expect such a big hug!'_ she thought. ' _Can it be…? Is…is this that thing that I've heard so much about from the Kuja warriors? Can this be…marriage?!'_

Luffy ran faster as he focused on his brother. "Wait for me, Ace!"

"You won't get away from me, Straw Hat and shapeshifter!"

Hancock turned and saw Smoker attempting to go after Luffy and Ben, once more.

"Perfume FEMUR!"

Hancock's leg struck Smoker's jutte. Normally, a sea prism stone would cancel out her Devil Fruit powers, but Hancock's kick was so powerful, it caused the jutte to turn into just regular stone and break in half in Smoker's hands.

"You INSOLENT FOOL!" Hancock barked as she stood up and gave Smoker her "looking down" pose. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

"Look! Look at that!" a Marine exclaimed. "Look at the way she's looking down on him!"

"She's looking so far down, that she's looking up!" said another.

"You bitch," Smoker hissed. "Don't you remember what'll happen if you defy the orders of the World Government?"

"Anything I do will be forgiven," said Hancock.

A few more marines attempted to flank Ben and Luffy, but the rubberman and Omnitrix wielder were able to break through without too many problems. They wouldn't allow the marines to box them in again.

As they moved forward, he saw Iva up ahead with Kuma and Doflamingo.

"Iva!" Luffy yelled. He was more concerned about Kuma than Doflamingo. "It's the bear guy! Be careful Iva! He'll blast you away!"

"I'll be fine," Iva assured in a calm voice. "Now, Kuma, move!"

Luffy was surprise by the way Iva was addressing the bear Warlord. Kuma for his part made no move. He didn't even appear to be aware of anything.

"Iva, you know this guy?" Luffy asked as he stopped in front of the two Warlords.

"Yeah...but he's acting strange," Iva said as he narrowed his eyes.

Doflamingo chuckled in amusement. "It seems that you two have memories of Kuma, but the Kuma you know and this guy are two different people."

Ben looked puzzled.

Luffy blinked in confusion. "Different people? What is he talking about?"

"That's not possible! This is, without a doubt, the one who ate the Paw Paw Fruit!" Iva yelled as he pointed towards the cyborg. "He's Kuma! Kuma, answer me!"

Kuma gave no response. He continued to stare blankly at his former friend and comrade.

"This is so irritating!" Iva growled. "But, then again, he was always been a man of few words!"

"I keep telling you that it's useless, no matter how much you talk to him," Doflamingo said with a grin as he leaned into his hand. "Just a couple of days ago the government head scientist, Doctor Vegapunk, completed his final modification on him, transforming him into a perfect human weapon. In other words, this is the former Bartholomew Kuma!"

"Modification, a weapon, what are you talking about!?" Iva screamed in outrage.

"Basically, he was selected by the government's human weapon project to be a test subject. He volunteered for it himself," Doflamingo explained with a huge grin on his face. "They started with his hands, then his legs. Leaving only his conscious intact, the scientists replaced his body parts one by one over a long period of time."

Ben's eyes narrowed at the mental picture.

"Don't lie! Kuma hates the World Government!" Iva yelled in disbelief. "He would never offer his life to the government!"

"Well, I don't know what kind of deal this guy had with the government," Doflamingo shrugged as walked away. "A couple of days ago, there was definitely some human left in him." He stopped walking and sat on a fallen pirate's corpse. "But now, he has lost all his memory of being born human. He's as good as dead. He has become a monster who only fights according to the World Government's orders. The Pacifista, PX-0! The past is gone; you should forget it!"

As if to prove his point, Kuma got ready to fire his mouth laser at Ben, Luffy, and Iva. They barely had time to move before the laser nearly hit them.

Iva looked pissed as he glared at his friend. "Kuma, what happened to your body these past years!?"

Luffy stood up and stared at both Warlords as if he was trying to decide if he should try to take them both on.

"Now that I think about it...the thing he said to me..." Luffy muttered as he remembered Kuma's final words before he sent him flying.

"What's wrong with you, Kuma!? It's me, Ivankov!" he yelled desperately at his friend.

Kuma seemingly disappeared, taking Iva off-guard.

He appeared behind a group of Newkama Land people and removed his glove.

Luffy knew what was going to happen. "He's dangerous! Be careful!"

Kuma put his hand down and hit everyone with what looked like a cannon.

"Damn you, Kuma!" Iva yelled as he charged the Warlord.

Ivankov starts moving his head around at a fast pace, making it appear as if he had more than one, like Luffy's Gum-Gum Gatling.

Kuma stared at Ivankov, trying to find a vulnerable spot, but he was moving so fast, his visual sensors couldn't keep up.

"Galaxy WINK!" Ivankov winked at Kuma, much like a Death Wink, only this time, this variation had been multiplied, as if his several heads are winking all at once, much like a Gatling gun.

"WAHOO~!" Ivankov cried. "How dare you hurt my precious little candy boys!" Ivankov shouted. "If that's the way it's going to be, then don't expect me to hold back, anymore!"

He then kicked Kuma away.

"Wow!" the New Kamas cried. "He's so powerful!"

"This is the first time in my entire life," Ivankov began, "that anyone has ever forgotten this face of mine!"

 _'Yeah, makes sense,'_ the New Kamas thought.

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR MEMORY!" Ivankov shouted. "HOW COULD YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW SCARY I CAN BE?! IT LOOKS LIKE I'LL HAVE TO BEAT THOSE MEMORIES BACK INTO YOU! PREPARE YOURSELF, KUMA!"

He then turned to his New Kamas.

"I can handle Kuma!" he shouted. "The rest of you! Help Straw Hat Boy and Ben Boy and back them up! And whatever you do, don't let either of them die!"

"Yes, Lord Iva!"

With that, the New Kamas proceed to follow Luffy and Ben.

"We gotta get to that scaffold!" Luffy shouted.

"YEAH~!" the New Kamas shouted in agreement.

Luffy knew he was no match for the Warlord and he needed to save his brother. That was his number one mission.

Although, Luffy wasn't having much luck with Warlords today since he was running straight into another one.

"Go, Straw Hat, go!" shouted one of the New Kamas.

"Got it!" Luffy said. "C'mon, Ben! We're gonna make it!"

"I really hope you're right Luffy, Ben replied, " But I still got a bad feeling about this."

Just then, the two spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

It was Mihawk.

"Forgive me, Red-Hair, I will not go easy on him," Mihawk said softly as he got his sword ready. "Now then, fate, will the life of a promised child and his ally from the next generation end here? If not, how will he escape from the Black Blade?"

Ben could see the horrified look on Luffy's face.

"I don't have time to fight someone as strong as him! I came to save Ace!" Luffy yelled.

"Got it, Luffy!" Ben said, turning into XLR8 as he grabbed Luffy. "Hold on!"

The Kineceleran dashed towards Mihawk before disappearing from Mihawk's sight.

The swordsman waited, patiently, his perfect eyes never wavering as he searched for them, even when he cut down a few more swordsmen. "There!"

Both XLR8 and Luffy were almost at the stone wall where they could finally leave the bay and enter the plaza when a giant green energy wave suddenly slammed them from the side and lift them off the ground like they were in a tornado.

"What the heck!?" XLR8 exclaimed in surprise.

Luffy and XLR8 were both thrown into a nearby wall and the former gasped in pain as his wounds began to bleed. Thankfully, he had no fatal injuries.

"If I was twenty years younger, I probably wouldn't be alive right now," XLR8 said as he slowly pull himself from the wall.

Jimbei stepped forward and attempted to defend Luffy while he recovered. Jimbei, however, was at a disadvantage on land and Mihawk eventually defeated the fishman by cutting the ice right from under him.

Luffy and XLR8 had to dodge quickly when they saw Mihawk jump into the air and attempt a downward thrust on them. Luffy rolled until he was able to get some breathing distance between himself and the swordsman.

"Damn you!" Luffy yelled as he pulled his arms back, ready for a Jet Bazooka.

"Don't do it, he'll cut your hands off!" Ben shouted instinctually.

Mihawk ready his sword for the attack and Luffy prepared to launch his Bazooka when a sudden apparition filled his eyes. A vision of his arms being hacked off by Mihawk.

Luffy ceased his attack by slamming his arms into the ice.

Luffy breathed hard as he look at his hands, making sure that they were still there. "That was too close! If I had stretched my arms, he could have cut them off!"

"You are not as reckless as I expected," Mihawk noted before he attempted to slice Luffy's head off.

Luffy bent backwards, avoiding the slash, but he was left speechless by what he saw.

In the distance, the sword released another energy wave that cut an ice glacier that was the size of a mountain. The upper half of the glacier appeared to hover in the air for several seconds before it began to collapse onto the battlefield. The marines and some of the Whitebeard Pirates were left stunned by the display of power.

"He cut an entire ice mountain in half with just one slash," Ben exclaimed in shock. His eyes nearly popped out at the sight. "Just who is this guy?!"

More than a little unnerved by the display of power, Luffy tried to run again, but Mihawk easily incepted him off with another energy wave. Mihawk could do his aerial attacks much faster than even Zoro, even when compared to Zoro's current form. Zoro's aerial techniques also couldn't rip a person apart with one hit. He also was one of the few who didn't call his attacks as he performed them, making him hard to predict.

"Now, what will you do?" Mihawk asked calmly as he continued his ruthless assault.

Luffy dodged each sword slash skillfully, but he was being pushed back with ever evasion.

"You and the shapeshifter are being forced further away from your brother," Mihawk said as he continued to pummel Luffy with energy waves.

 _'He's right!'_ Ben thought. ' _We can't just keep dodging his attacks like this! We can't just run pass him, either, because then he'll keep attacking us! What do we do?!'_

"Damn!" Luffy cussed as he ran towards Mihawk.

"Is this where it ends?" Mihawk questioned as he prepared for the finishing blow.

As Luffy ran, Ben suddenly heard someone screaming from the sky.

"What is that?" Ben asked as he looked around. "It kind of sounds like Buggy."

Up in the sky was Buggy along with Mr. 3 along with several other prisoners from Impel Down. They were all being carried away by one of Crocodile's sand tornados.

"How did they get up there?" Luffy asked neutrally.

"I can't tell if this clown has extremely bad luck or extremely good luck," Ben muttered.

"It seems your fighting power had increased considerably, but I have already seen through all your tricks," Mihawk informed. "From this distance, there is not even a ten-thousand-to-one chance that I will miss."

Just when Luffy got close enough to Mihawk, he stretched his arms up and grabbed Buggy as he spun in the tornado. "Gum Gum Jet Substitute!" He brought his arms down and allowed Buggy take the sword blow for him.

Buggy gave a loud cry as he was sliced in half by Mihawk's blade.

Ben was left shocked into silence by the technique, "What the..." He murmured in disbelief.

Mihawk looked up and his face remained as impassive as ever.

"Hey, what are you doing, Strawhat!?" Buggy screamed angrily as he turned towards Luffy. Despite being cut in half he showed no ill effect or pain.

"What? He was the one who cut you in half!" Luffy yelled in his defense as he waved his hand between Buggy's two halves. "Besides, didn't you come to help me?"

"You dumbass, you hear what you want to hear!" Buggy screamed furiously.

Luffy grabbed Buggy again and threw him right into Mihawk, who proceeded to cut Buggy into onion slices. True to form, Buggy completely reformed himself within seconds.

Mihawk had a look of mild wonderment on his face as he stared at Buggy.

"Unforgivable! You're Hawk-Eye, aren't you!?" Buggy screamed in fury as he pointed at the swordsman.

Mihawk still said nothing. It seemed he was observing why Buggy was still alive.

Buggy had pushed his luck, however, and shot a Muggy Ball at Mihawk. Without even trying, the great swordsman deflected the ball right back at Buggy.

For the first time since Luffy had ever seen him, Buggy's mouth was completely closed as he watched his Muggy Ball fly towards him. It exploded in a grand fashion, engulfing the clown pirate in flames.

"Captain Buggy!" several of the prisoners and Mr. 3 yelled.

Ben sighed. "Moron."

"Thanks, Buggy, I'll never forget you!" Luffy yelled as he waved and left Buggy to Mihawk.

"It is not over yet!" Mihawk yelled as he attempted to hit Ben Luffy with another energy wave from the back, knocking the duo off-balance.

Before Mihawk could move in for the kill, he was intercepted by one of the Whitebeard's commanders. He had a long mustache that curled on the sides along with a black top hat and cape. He blocked Mihawk's sword with two rapiers.

"Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division, Flower the Blade Vista," Mihawk muttered.

"Nice to meet you, Hawk-Eye Mihawk. So, you have heard of me?" Vista asked in a friendly voice. He had a huge grin on his face.

"It would be strange if I had not," Mihawk answered.

"I'm saved!" Luffy exclaimed as he turned around to see Vista holding Mihawk back. "Who's that old man?"

"Let's not worry about him, now!" Ben exclaimed.

Mihawk continued to glare at Ben and Luffy, but could do nothing to get to him with Vista stalling his blade. He neither looked upset or happy at the dup escaping his blade. If anything, he seemed more interested as his golden eyes pierced into Luffy himself.

"Well, whatever, I'm grateful!" Luffy yelled as he ran away.

 _'It's not the power of his Devil Fruit or his techniques,_ he thought. ' _That boy possesses some sort of quality that makes people, even his enemies, want to help him. And in these seas…that's the most formidable power of all!'_

Within moments of Ben and Luffy moving again, several explosions went off behind them. They glanced to see laser fire from the back of bay and the screams of people. Still, They couldn't be bothered by what was going on behind they.

As the dup ran forward, he began to encounter less and less resistance.

Luffy was getting close to the wall again when a flash of light blinded him. Standing in front of him was Kizaru.

"Not him again!" Ben yelled.

Kizaru smiled at Luffy before he kicked the rubberman and Omnitrix wielder who had transformed into Diamondhead in the face. "Back to where you started from!"

"Luffy-kun, Ben-kun!" Jimbei shouted as he caught Luffy, keeping them from flying further.

Luffy was breathing hard as he looked up at Jimbei. He then glanced at Kizaru, who was standing only a few feet away, looking as laid-back as ever.

"One of the admirals are here...dammit!" Luffy huffed tiredly.

"He is a formidable foe, but we must hurry," Jimbei said calmly as he faced the admiral. "You always knew that strong enemies would stand in your way and you decided to come anyway."

Luffy slowly stood up and continued to face down the admiral. He was, however, very unsteady on his feet and the memory blurred slightly.

Diamondhead frowned worriedly as he stared at Luffy. Was Iva's adrenaline already running out? Luffy's cheeks were also redder, showing that he was running a high fever.

At that moment, several people ran towards Luffy and surrounded him.

"Ace's brother, has your stamina run out?" one of the people asked. He was dressed in a kimono and had lipstick and eyeliner on like a woman. His hair was also pinned up in an exotic style.

"Oh, it's the commanders!" Jimbei yelled. "This makes things easier on us!"

"You can't let one admiral stop you," the man went on. "Come with us!"

"Alright!" Luffy yelled as he followed the Whitebeard's commanders, "Ben! How are you holding up?"

"Just peachy, thank you!" The Petrosapien remarked before forming his arm into a large blade.

"Now's our chance while the marines are fallen back!" the commander yelled to his troops. "Let's break their defenses!"

The pirates cheered in compliance.

"Oh, now that looks like a tough bunch," Kizaru noted in his normal dull surprised manner. It was impossible to tell if he meant what he was saying or if he was mocking them.

* * *

In a different part of the battlefield, Moria was confronting one of the Division Leaders: Curiel, a tall, muscular, and sturdy man with purple-tinted square-rimmed shades and wearing a watermelon-patterned bucket helmet on his head with a pair of headphones over his ears. Tattooed on his chin is the Whitebeard Pirates' Jolly Roger. He wore a green sleeveless coat over a magenta shirt, and brown and green spotted army pants tucked inside a standard pair of boots, and strapped to his back are two bazookas, and he is armed with two flintlock pistols, as well.

"KISHISHISHISHI!" Moria cackled. "Come at me, if you dare, Curiel, leader of the 10th Unit, but you're doomed if you stay here in the bay! KISHISHISHISHISHI! Ace will die and you fools will all be trapped! I don't care who wins or loses, to be honest, but it would be hilarious to see Whitebeard die!"

"I'm not gonna let Pops or Ace get killed!" Curiel shouted. He then fired one of his bazookas at Moria.

Meanwhile, with Vista and Mihawk, the two are still dueling. The two clashed swords, but neither of them seemed to get a hit on each other.

"Perhaps we should settle this later, Vista," said Mihawk.

"It seems that would be best for the both of us, wouldn't it?" asked Vista.

"Commodore Smoker!" Tashigi called as she finished cutting down a pirate. "This place is already…!"

"I know, Tashigi!" Smoker called.

"Oh, Luffy," Hancock whispered, worryingly. "Please, you and Ben must hurry!"

Kuma just remained silent.

* * *

Luffy's group didn't get too far before the battlefield suddenly became dead silent. Everyone on both sides had stopped fighting and looked behind them in shock and surprise. It was like time itself had stopped.

Diamondhead and Luffy slowly turned around and saw that Whitebeard had been stabbed through the chest by one of his allies.

* * *

 _ **Just Above Earth's Atmosphere**_

Vilgax sat, brooding, on his command throne aboard his flagship. His vessel was over a mile long, covered in orange plates of metal and red, almost organic-looking, spheres. The ship looked like it promised nothing but total annihilation, and it could make good on that promise. The vessel could level a continent on its own; sadly, for any who dared challenge Vilgax, it wasn't alone. Surrounding the ship were over three hundred other vessels; they were scaled-down versions of the flagship, each was only about half a mile in length. The warlord himself was staring at a video feed of the Marineford War with malice and intrigue.

"Finally," he rumbled, his voice deep enough to make the entire bridge vibrate, "The time of my vengeance has come."

The sound of footsteps behind him caused him to glance over, his eyes the only thing making any movements.

"Indeed, my master; soon, the humans will bow down to you!"

"Is the machine ready, Psyphon?" Vilgax finally turned his head to look at his chief scientist and chief lieutenant. While Psyphon was only a toady, Vilgax would still be in the Null Void if Eon hadn't used Psyphon's technology, and thus, he was invaluable, though his sycophantic nature could get grating at times.

Psyphon nodded, a sadistic gleam in his eyes. "Indeed, master; Tennyson, these pirates, and this World Government will not know what hit them."

Vilgax looked away, back to the footage of the ongoing war, thinking about what was transpiring. These humans were more impressive than he had imagined. His recent battle was proof of that. He needed to try a different approach if he was to fully conquer this world.

He growled softly; This world will soon be his. Its inhabitants will either submit to his will or be annihilated with the rest of this planet.

"When will the other members of our alliance arrive?"

Psyphon bowed again. "They will reach orbit in twenty minutes, master."

"Instruct them to head to Tennyson's current location as soon as they hit the atmosphere."

"When shall they strike, master?"

If it wasn't for the mask, Psyphon would have seen a sick smile cross his master's face.

"Let these humans continue fighting their little war. If we play our cards right, this shall work in our favor..."

* * *

 _ **AN: Happy New Year everyone! Since the other big names have already updated their Ben 10 stories, I figured I should do the same. If you think things are intense now, just wait till part two. What does Vilgax have planned? What happened to Blackbeard? What is this machine that Psyphon is working on? What will happen next? Find out next time on A Hero and the Strawhat!** **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as this is the longest one yet. I promise to post Part 2 soon. And trust me, that's when things take a real unexpected turn regarding a certain pivotal moment in One Piece.** **Thank you, and good night.**_


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